ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Drug-related charges filed against Lehigh County Commissioner Zachary Cole-Borghi in August are moving forward. Cole-Borghi was arrested last August at Bethlehem City Hall, where he worked as a right-to-know officer. He is one of 41 people who were arrested in a multi-state drug sting.
The judge heard from several witnesses at a preliminary hearing in Lehigh County on Tuesday, including a man said he sold drugs to Cole-Borghi. Prosecutors are calling the man “Randy” to protect his identity. Cole-Borghi’s attorney said the man’s real identity should be revealed publicly.
Randy testified the man he was working for told him to make a delivery to a “higher profile client.” According to “Randy, he delivered a pound of marijuana to a man, who said he works in politics. Randy testified that he looked up the Lehigh County commissioners after the delivery and realized he delivered to Cole-Borghi. He said he contacted investigators immediately after the delivery.
Cole-Borghi’s attorney cross examined Randy, asking him questions about his alleged work delivering drugs. One of them specifically was about the quantities of drugs he delivered. Randy spoke about how drug communications were deleted on Telegram, which he said was used to communicate.
A Lehigh County Drug Task Force detective then took the stand, testifying “Randy” contacted him, saying he had delivered drugs to a Lehigh County commissioner. A phone call by “Randy” recorded by police was played, with a man they identified as Cole-Borghi saying he was never delivered a pound of marijuana.
A formal arraignment for the charges touched on Tuesday will be held in May. A preliminary hearing has yet to be held for around 100 charges filed against Cole-Borghi last week.