A Lehigh Valley title agent who had been sued by clients last month, now faces racketeering and other theft charges. Lehigh County DA Jim Martin says 42-year-old Louis Belletieri, of Allentown, failed to properly disclose the money he received during real estate sales on behalf of sellers he represented. Martin's office alleges Belletieri's Legacy Title stole more than $1.26 million from three real estate transactions. Belletieri surrendered to authorities Friday morning. A month ago, Fidelity National Title Insurance Company filed a lawsuit against Belletieri, alleging he mishandled $5.6 million of his clients’ funds.
Police in Easton have identified the 46-year-old man who died after he was shot Thursday night. Police say they were called to Chubby's on W. St. Joseph's Street for a report of a shooting. When they arrived, they found Legious Minder Sr., who had been shot. He was rushed to the hospital, where he died. Police said Minder was targeted in the incident.
It appears negotiations between striking United Auto Workers union members at Mack Trucks remain at a standstill. In a statement from Mack, the company says it was able to reach tentative agreements this week on four local deals that were not ratified by UAW members almost three weeks ago, however the union's bigger economic demands are, what the company calls, "unrealistic." Mack says no further negotiations are planned at this time.
Law enforcement is out with its third quarter gun purchase statistics. Pennsylvania State Police say more than 242,000 instant checks were done on would-be gun buyers in the third quarter with about one-and-a-half percent being denied the right to buy a gun. State Police say of the 3539 denied gun purchases, more than 2500 were referred to law enforcement agencies for further investigation. 18 people were arrested at the point of purchase for an outstanding warrant.
There's a proposal in Harrisburg to change how early classes can start for secondary students. The plan would tell schools that they could not begin classes any earlier than 8:15 a.m. The mark would go into effect with the 2026 - 2027 school term. Reports from the U.S. Department of Health's Office of Disease Prevention and Health and the National Sleep Foundation address the effects of insufficient amounts of sleep on teenagers as the reasoning behind the proposal.
The D-E-A is partnering with participating local health organizations and law enforcement agencies for today's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The event is an opportunity for local residents to safely drop off and dispose of expired and unneeded prescription medications. Drop-off locations will be available in most communities. Almost all police departments in Lehigh County are taking part. A complete list of those sites can be found at www.dea.gov/takebackday.