A two-and-a-half month investigation into a noose found on the desk of an Allentown city employee is over. Allentown police detective Stephen Milkovits says 42-year-old Latarsha Brown said she found the noose when she reported to work on January 10th, but that story fell apart when DNA testing of the noose was completed on March 10th. "The forensic DNA division of the Pennsylvania State Police issued a written report indicating that Miss Brown's DNA matched the DNA profile obtained from the swabs of both the outer surface and the inner knotted portion of the noose after it was taken apart. No other person's DNA profile was found on the evidentiary item in this investigation," Milkovits says. Because of that, Brown is now facing charges of false reports and tampering with/fabricating physical evidence. Police say all employees believed to have been in the building between the time Brown left work the night before until the morning when she claimed to have found the noose agreed to a DNA swab...except for Brown. Her DNA sample was taken two weeks later after a warrant was issued to collect it. Brown works for the city’s community and economic development department.
An Allentown man has been charged with using stolen credit cards to purchase about $100,000 in merchandise from Lowe’s stores in over a dozen Pennsylvania counties. 33-year-old Alex Rulan is charged with corrupt organizations, organized retail theft, criminal conspiracy, identity theft, and related offenses. Rulan is at Montgomery County Jail on previously filed charges, according to the Attorney General, who announced the charges.
A Lehigh County man faces up to life in prison after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a child. Federal officials said 41-year-old George Woodfield of Macungie drove an eleven-year-old to New York City for sexual purposes in 2018. According to prosecutors, Woodfield also accessed numerous explicit images of children. He will be sentenced in July.
The appointment of President Trump's longtime attorney -- Alina Habba -- to be the new interim U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey quickly drew partisan criticism. Speaking with reporters after the announcement yesterday, Habba -- a native of Summit -- said Senator Cory Booker and Governor Phil Murphy had failed New Jersey. She said there is corruption and crime in Booker's backyard. Democratic Congressman Frank Pallone shot back, stating Trump is looking for lackeys who will do his bidding. Trump also announced the current U.S. attorney in New Jersey, John Giordano, is being nominated as the next ambassador to Namibia.
Yesterday marked two years since the explosion at the RM Palmer factory in West Reading. A memorial service was held at nearby Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church to honor the seven workers that were killed. Federal investigators determined last year that the explosion was caused by a gas leak. The National Transportation Safety Board said RM Palmer's emergency response training was insufficient, and better training could have saved lives.
A group of New Jersey lawmakers has introduced a package of legislation that will create a standalone Department of Veteran Affairs. The initiative follows mistakes uncovered at New Jersey's state-run veterans homes during the pandemic. The proposal would restructure veterans' services into an independent Cabinet-level department to serve the nearly 350-thousand veterans in the Garden State. The lawmakers behind the bill say a separate department will support veterans at the homes as well as provide services for veterans across the state.
Opening statements continue in the federal bribery trial of the wife of former Senator Bob Menendez, Nadine Menendez. She's accused of helping her husband in a bribery scheme that resulted in his conviction and eleven-year prison sentence. On the first day of opening statements yesterday, prosecutors said Nadine Menendez "did the dirty work" for her husband. Nadine has pleaded not guilty to charges in the scheme. Bob Menendez was found guilty of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from three New Jersey businessmen. Nadine's trial is expected to last around two months.
The Phillies have apparently finalized their opening day roster with the final choice between Kody Clemens and Buddy Kennedy. "As far as the last positional player, we did tell Kody Clemens he had made the club," says Phillies president Dave Dombrowski. He says the team will try to trade Kennedy before they officially set their roster on Thursday. If he is not traded by then, he will be designated for assignment.