Criminal Justice

The helicopter from Pennsylvania State Police was used during an enforcement detail Saturday afternoon and evening in Allentown, officials said. They say the plan is to use the helicopter throughout the summer.

Allentown police are investigating after a boy was injured by a stray bullet Thursday.

Zebbelin Standish, 36, formerly of Easton, was sentenced Wednesday in Northampton County Court after a four-day February trial in which he was convicted of 55 felony counts.

Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan says machine gun conversion devices, also known as Glock switches, are becoming increasingly common in the region. The illegal modifications turn semi-automatic firearms into automatic weapons.

An Allentown police officer is on the mend after suffering a medical episode on Monday, a release from the department said.

Senior Magisterial District Judge Jackie Taschner ruled that a jury needed to decide whether Debra Biro, Melanie Heilman, Steve Lynch and Richard Morea's raucous behavior at a June 8, 2023, Northampton County Republican Committee meeting amounted to a crime.

Inmates often spent weeks in segregation from others as a result of disciplinary infractions

On Wednesday, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill 37, known as Paul Miller’s Law, officially making Pennsylvania the 29th state in the nation to ban distracted driving.

Investigators used numerous city-operated surveillance cameras and license-plate readers, as well as input from witnesses and social media, to identify the suspects, said Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan.

Scott Curtis led the FBI's investigation into allegations of corruption against former Mayor Ed Pawlowski, who's serving a 15-year federal prison sentence.

David Isaiah Rivera, 26, was arraigned on charges alleging he fired at a group of people around 4 a.m. outside BKK Lounge, 1500 Union Boulevard, after a fight between two groups inside the club spilled into the parking lot.

A 32-year-old man died and three other people were wounded in a shooting in the parking lot of BKK Lounge, 1500 Union Blvd., early Sunday, according to Allentown police. It was the city's first homicide of 2025.

Jason Krasley, the former Allentown police officer already facing felony charges in two cases, was charged again Thursday, according to court documents. His total bail adds up to almost $1 million.

Brenda Rodriguez, 51, of Palmerton is charged with criminal solicitation/criminal homicide and conspiracy-aggravated assault in the shooting death of her husband, Hector Manuel Garcia Gomez, 46, of Palmerton on Dec. 7.

Joshua and Tracy Dechant were charged Sunday with two felony counts each, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said in a release.

Evan Weaver and Jason Krasley were in Lehigh County Court, where their lawyers argued Thursday against Lehigh County prosecutors' motion to revoke their bail.

According to a release, John C. Miles, of Palmerton, Carbon County, has been charged in the incident that took place Monday, Nov. 11, 2024.

The “No Hate in Our State” town hall, organized by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, is scheduled for noon Saturday at POWER Interfaith, 620 Hamilton St.

Federal prosecutors dismissed criminal charges alleging Tighe Scott assaulted police outside the U.S. Capitol Building. The decision stems from President Donald Trump's executive order pardoning more than 1,000 people convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and all ongoing dismissing ongoing prosecutions.

Francis Anonia, a former Parkland High School performing arts teacher, was arraigned in Lehigh County Court on Friday morning on charges he used his cell phone multiple times to secretly record a male student in a school changing room in 2022. If found guilty of all 19 charges, he could face up to 88 years in prison.

Join Megan Frank at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Friday for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week Megan talks to Jason Addy and Phil Gianficaro.

Council on Wednesday introduced a bill to hire a Philadelphia law firm to analyze Allentown's nondiscrimination and personnel policies and end a long-running probe.