Criminal Justice

The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts shared a news release warning of a recently reported text scam that attempts to "spoof" or mimic the Pennsylvania Courts and/or Unified Judicial System website. The AOPC says anyone who receives the text should not provide payment the text demands or any sensitive information.

Gary J. Moyer, 73, of South Whitehall Township, was pronounced dead at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 100 block of North 38th Street after suffering gunshot injuries, Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio said Thursday.

Councilman Frank Pintabone reintroduced his marijuana decriminalization ordinance at Easton City Council on Wednesday, aiming to turn possession into a summary charge. A vote on the matter is expected in two weeks.

The Lehigh County District Attorney's Office is investigating the fatal shooting that occurred in the 100 block of North 38th Street in South Whitehall on Wednesday afternoon.

Former Hellertown Police Chief Robert Shupp, who was recently sentenced to prison time for stealing money from the borough, is lined up to get about $32,000 in pension contributions with an approval from Borough Council.

Pennsylvania State Police have rolled out 15 RapidHIT ID systems to troops across the commonwealth. The machines are capable of analyzing forensic samples and generating DNA profiles in as little as 90 minutes.

Palmer Township police officer John Smoke faces up to five years in prison. Authorities accused him of sending the photo to a 16-year-old while he was assigned to Easton Area High School as a resource officer.

Police have charged an Easton man in connection with a recent chop shop investigation. Angel Vidal faces several felony and misdemeanor charges as he awaits a preliminary hearing in Northampton County Prison.

Incidents in the dashboard date only to the start of 2024, which Mayor Matt Tuerk and Police Chief Charles Roca have touted as having historically low crime and homicide rates.

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

Earlier Wednesday, Bethlehem Police Department said in a release that shortly before 7 a.m., it "received a courtesy notification from agents with the Department of Homeland Security that federal agents were actively searching" for the individual. The search involved the area of the 500 block of East 3rd Street, police said.

Between March 2020 and September 2023, Louis Belletieri transferred millions from an escrow account to his personal and business accounts, according to federal prosecutors.

More than a dozen volunteers on Tuesday committed their service to the community’s schoolchildren who find themselves at odds with the law for the first time.

Jason Krasley also is due to stand trial on numerous charges stemming from alleged sexual assaults in 2011 and 2015 when he served on the city’s Vice and Intelligence Unit.

Eileen Miller, whose son Paul Miller was killed in a collision by a distracted driver, on Friday spoke on a piece of legislation that bans the use of handheld devices while driving in Pennsylvania.

An Allentown woman was charged with possession of a quarter pound of synthetic opioid fentanyl, District Attorney Stephen Baratta announced Wednesday.

Authorities including District Attorney Stephen Baratta and the Palmer Township Police have confirmed a man was apprehended and charged for shooting and killing his in-laws at a 55+ community Tuesday night.

Latasha Santiago, 36, pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy tocommit robbery, a first-degree felony, in the Oct. 17, 2020, shooting death of Christian Lopez-Rodriguez, 21, of Allentown.

LaTarsha Brown is accused of falsely reporting that she found a noose Jan. 10 on her desk in the city’s Department of Community and Economic Development.

The victim was a Bethlehem Township resident and junior at Freedom High School, according to township Police Chief Gregory Gottschall. Authorities say a criminal investigation is underway.

Lehigh and Northampton counties don't release inmates into ICE custody unless federal agents present them a warrant. The policies are likely why the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has labeled the counties as sanctuary jurisdictions.

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