{"id":27077,"date":"2025-11-06T21:41:27","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T21:41:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/27077\/"},"modified":"2025-11-06T21:41:27","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T21:41:27","slug":"arguments-begin-in-lehigh-valley-news-outlets-appeal-to-unseal-drug-bust-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/27077\/","title":{"rendered":"Arguments begin in Lehigh Valley news outlets\u2019 appeal to unseal drug bust records"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Lehigh County judge heard arguments Thursday regarding efforts to unseal court documents<\/a> detailing charges against at least 22 defendants charged in an alleged interstate drug ring.<\/p>\n

Judge Thomas Capehart did not immediately rule whether the motion \u2014 filed jointly on behalf of lehighvalleylive.com<\/a>, LehighValleyNews.com<\/a> and The Morning Call<\/a> \u2014 should proceed in criminal court, remain in civil court or be dismissed.<\/p>\n

Paula Knudsen Burke, an attorney for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) who is representing the media groups, presented Capehart with case law that would allow the motion to proceed in civil court.<\/p>\n

She said she would not object if the matter was moved to criminal court; she filed the motion as instructed by the Lehigh County Clerk of Court\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

The Pennsylvania Constitution guarantees access to court dockets. In these cases, however, even the identifying information that would allow the public to request files for review are under seal.<\/p>\n

After the hearing, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan told reporters the document sealing the dockets is itself sealed as part of a grand jury investigation.<\/p>\n

Assistant District Attorney Joseph Holaska asked Capehart to dismiss the case, arguing it was filed improperly. Since the existing criminal cases have not been assigned a docket number, the motion should not be allowed to proceed in Lehigh County Court, he argued.<\/p>\n

Instead, the news outlets should refile the case in magisterial district court, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou cannot simply intervene in nothing,\u201d Holaska said.<\/p>\n

The nothing in this case would be court records detailing charges against at least 22 defendants, including a recently re-elected Lehigh County commissioner. At least two of the defendants have been in Lehigh County Jail for over a month.<\/p>\n

In late August, Holihan announced investigators had busted a criminal operation following a three-year grand jury investigation. Police destroyed two clandestine drug labs in the region and filed charges against defendants as far away as New York and Wisconsin.<\/p>\n

But authorities have disclosed almost no details of the investigation since then, including if new defendants have been charged.<\/p>\n

Holihan has declined to share the information, citing the ongoing investigation.<\/p>\n

The only defendant prosecutors have revealed is Lehigh County Commissioner Zach Cole-Borghi<\/a>, who faces drug charges. Holihan said he identified Cole-Borghi to inform the public that he didn\u2019t face more serious charges such as racketeering that other, unidentified defendants face. He is charged with possession with the intent to deliver a pound of marijuana and possession of marijuana, authorities have said.<\/p>\n

Cole-Borghi has denied criminal wrongdoing. He was elected to a second term in Tuesday\u2019s general election.<\/p>\n

More defendants come to light<\/p>\n

Last month, RCFP managed to identify 11 other defendants in the case through the miscellaneous docket. Ten of those defendants have been released on bail. All 11 are accused of racketeering, and most of them are charged with working for a criminal organization, possession with the intent to distribute and conspiracy to commit possession with the intent to deliver.<\/p>\n

On Thursday, RCFP and LehighValleyNews.com identified more co-defendants by combing Lehigh County\u2019s miscellaneous court and consulting with the Lehigh County Jail. The defendants are all linked through an incident number on their court documents. The newly identified defendants:<\/p>\n

Timothy Adams, 28, of Allentown, is charged with possession with the intent to deliver and charges related to organized crime and racketeering. He is being held at the jail in lieu of $250,000.<\/p>\n

Luis Beltre, 34, of Edgewater, N.J., is being held at the jail in lieu of $500,000 bail. Bail was originally set at $1 million, but Lehigh County Judge James Anthony lowered it at a hearing last month. U.S. Marshals out of Philadelphia announced in September that Beltre was deported from the Dominican Republic and released into their custody for his role in a \u201clarge scale [sic] drug investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beltre is charged with possession with the intent to distribute, conspiracy to commit possession with the intent to distribute and charges related to organized crime, racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering.<\/p>\n

Alexander Seijas Osorio, 21, Allentown, is charged with possession with the intent to deliver and charges related to organized crime and racketeering. He is being held at the jail in lieu of $250,000.<\/p>\n

Christopher Quinn Williams, 32, of Emmaus, faces charges related to organized crime and racketeering. He is being held at the jail in lieu of $250,000.<\/p>\n

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