Criminal Justice

Wilson Borough solicitor and attorney Stanley Margle III has been charged with possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.

Three Bethlehem residents face hundreds of charges related to a scheme that involves over 130 victims in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas. If you believe you’ve been a victim of such a scheme, Bethlehem police ask you to call 610-997-7682.

Cedar Crest College will use a $608,000 grant from the U.S. Justice Department for creation of an Expert Witness Training Center and Crime Scene Lab.

Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle L. Kott and Mayor J. William Reynolds released a joint statement Monday calling a proposed "welcoming ordinance" regarding federal immigration policies unnecessary in the city.

In a statement released through U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie's office, ICE says Northampton County has a policy of not fully cooperating with the agency, placing agents and the public at risk. County Executive Lamont McClure disagrees.

Alberto Jose Rios-Santiago, 26, was arrested Thursday in Florida and is awaiting extradition, authorities said.

Congressman Ryan Mackenzie has accused Northampton County of not cooperating with ICE, while County Executive Lamont McClure has argued the legislator does not grasp the complexity of the situation.

Easton Police Chief Carl Scalzo spoke out against a proposed "welcoming city" ordinance, saying it could be seen as a beacon for criminal activity in the city and make police officers' jobs more difficult.

An Allentown man was sentenced on Tuesday to 18-to-60 months in state prison in the accidental death of his 3-year-old son, who shot himself with an unattended gun.

Allentown officers responded to BKK Lounge more than two dozen times since July 2023, according to Police Chief Charles Roca. But police did not pass along any complaints about the business to officials in charge of nuisance abatement.

In the wake of a trio of shootings in Allentown Friday night that left two dead and six more injured, some of the city's political, civic and religious leaders met Sunday to call for action.

The 1-year-old and a 44-year-old woman were among three people shot in a home in the 100 block of Chestnut Street in Allentown. Over the next several hours, five more people would be shot in two more separate shooting incidents.

Two shootings occurred around 9 p.m. Friday. Authorities found two people dead in a house in the 100 block of Chestnut Street in Allentown's First Ward, the incoming Lehigh County district attorney said. One of them was a 1-year-old boy, the coroner said.

Under the bill, gun owners could lose their license to carry if they try to take a loaded weapon onto a plane. This would be similar to losing a license for possessing a small amount of marijuana, one lawmaker said.

"Be aware, set your alarms," Lower Saucon Township Police Chief Thomas Barndt said at a township council meeting.

Lehigh County Courthouse is expected to reopen a week after fire sprinklers damaged the building's electrical system Tuesday night.

The social studies teacher at William Allen High School was accused of drug crimes following a March raid of her home by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office. She resigned a few weeks later, citing "personal" reasons.

The new position will appear on the ballot in 2025. The Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas had one of the higher caseloads for counties of its size.

Isiah Yeager, 24, was arrested in mid-June after a 29-year-old Bethlehem man was fatally stabbed at Synergy Hookah Lounge on Allentown’s East Side.

Authorities believe the same person or people are responsible for the break-ins due to the proximity and times of the calls. Police say there have been 16 reported thefts the past week and more unsuccessful attempts to enter locked vehicles.

A new study from the Lehigh Valley Justice Institute of the area's local courts found a link between time spent in jail awaiting trial and harsher prison sentences.

Authorities cleared the synagogue Thursday and determined the threat was unfounded after receiving an email indicating explosives would go off, a security official said.