Criminal Justice

Federal, state and local law enforcement officials announced Wednesday they had dismantled a gun trafficking organization that bought firearms across Pennsylvania and illegally sold them throughout the Southeastern region of the state.

City of Bethlehem Police will be making upgrades to their camera surveillance system throughout the city using a state grant from American Rescue Plan funds

Pennsylvania House Democrats are putting their freshly minted majority status to work in shutting down Republican efforts to make changes to legislation designed to let victims of childhood sexual abuse file otherwise outdated lawsuits.

A 28-year-old man is charged with multiple drug crimes after a raid Friday by the Northampton County Drug Task Force. Authorities say they also recovered a stolen firearm.

Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro says he won't allow Pennsylvania to execute any inmates while he is in office and calls for the state's lawmakers to repeal the death penalty.

Nothstein, 52, will spend a year on probation after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in Lehigh County Court on Wednesday, in a case that involved his ex-girlfriend.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives released a major report on stolen guns.

Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering a host of changes to the state’s cannabis laws that would expand who is eligible for a medical marijuana card.

A 20-year-old Coplay man fatally shot by Allentown police on Friday had multiple gunshot wounds, an autopsy report from the Lehigh County Coroner's Office said.

Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said police recovered a semiautomatic handgun from the man, as well as shell casings believed to have been fired from the weapon. No officers were hurt, but a projectile nicked an officer's bulletproof vest, Martin said.

Police are seeking witnesses to a hit-and-run crash on Industrial Drive in Bethlehem that left a pedestrian with serious injuries.

The expanded police department’s finish will set in motion another project in downtown Allentown.

The Northampton County Drug Task Force raided four convenience stores Thursday — three in the Slate Belt and one in East Allen Township. Besides the cash seized, authorities said the value of products confiscated surpassed $400,000.

Elijah Patterson, 19, of Allentown, was found guilty of first-degree murder and other charges after a three-day Lehigh County Jury trial in March.

Christian Lopez-Rodriguez, 21, of Allentown, died Oct. 17, 2020, shortly after he was shot during a robbery on the Hamilton Street bridge, according to authorities.

Said Township Police Chief Frank Lombardo, “The decisions that I make, while for the organization, will always be guided by my time on the street, which brought every type of experience a police officer could have.”

Pediatricians say teen twin boys who were severely malnourished in their parents' care likely would have died in weeks or months if not for medical attention. District Judge Michael J. Faulkner determined that there was enough evidence to send the case to Lehigh County Court.

After nearly two months of investigation, authorities have declared a fire which struck the former Dixie Cup factory was arson.

A resident told police he saw a man fire a gun around 10 a.m. Monday in the 200 block of Spruce Street, where Harrison-Morton Middle School serves hundreds of students.

Johansy Suarez-Rivas died from fentanyl toxicity April 5, 2024, hours after his parents used heroin, authorities said.

All 135 residents of the building have been relocated to temporary housing at hotels arranged by the 510 Flats apartment management team, fire officials said.

Two city residents have been charged in connection with a human trafficking investigation following a multi-agency law enforcement operation at Wind Creek Casino.