March 25, 2026
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
Lehigh County Commissioner Zachary Cole Borghi faces more criminal charges, according to county District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan.
Borghi was charged last year after a drug investigation involving a grand jury.
He was taken into custody today on 104 new charges and is awaiting a preliminary arraignment, Holihan said. Of the new charges, 89 involved the use of a cellular phone to “conduct drug deals,” according to Holihan’s statement.
The new charges include Cole Borghi, a Democrat on the board of commissioners, allegedly setting up cocaine sales at his Bethlehem home, at Bethlehem City Hall (where he worked earlier), and during a “Peace and Justice Symposium” held by the Lehigh Valley Justice Institute at Northampton Community College, according to Holihan’s statement.
A search warrant for Cole Borghi’s cellular phone and Apple iCloud records revealed incriminating text messages, according to Holihan.
Today’s press release includes this note: “As in every criminal case, the fact that an arrest has occurred or a complaint has been filed are merely accusations; and the accused, Zachary Cole Borghi, is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.”
Here’s the statement from District Attorney Holihan:
March 25, 2026
District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announces additional criminal charges have been filed against Lehigh County Commissioner Zachary Cole Borghi.
Cole Borghi was one of several defendants in a large-scale drug investigation involving Lehigh County’s 12th Investigating Grand Jury.
As those details were announced last year, the investigation remained ongoing.
As part of that investigation, search warrants were approved for Cole Borghi’s cellphone and Apple iCloud records. A forensic analysis of the cellphone and Apple iCloud records revealed text messages beginning in 2021 and ending in August 2025.
Those text messages showed Cole Borghi conducting drug transactions beginning in November 2023 through August 2025.
Those text messages indicate that Cole Borghi used his cellphone to conduct drug deals beginning in November 2023 through August 2025. The locations those crimes occurred include Cole Borghi’s home in the 700 block of Spring Street in Bethlehem (Lehigh County); a relative’s home in the 300 block of 6th Avenue in Bethlehem (Lehigh County); Bethlehem City Hall where Cole Borghi was employed (Northampton County); and Upper Saucon Township (Lehigh County). The investigation also revealed that Cole Borghi facilitated a drug transaction during a meeting of the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners.
The new criminal charges include:
- 89 counts of Criminal Use of a Communications Facility
- 14 counts of Delivery of a Controlled Substance (Cocaine)
- One count delivery of controlled substance (Psilocybin mushrooms)
The investigation revealed a cocaine sale at Northampton County Community College while
Cole Borghi was attending the “Peace and Justice Symposium” presented by the Lehigh Valley
Justice Institute.
The investigation also revealed that Cole Borghi purchased and sold cocaine from his home and while working at Bethlehem City Hall.
Each charge of Criminal Use of a Communications Facility alleges that Cole Borghi used a “communication facility” such as a cellphone, to commit, cause, facilitate, or attempt to facilitate a felony drug offense.
Cole Borghi was taken into custody this morning in the City of Bethlehem and is currently awaiting his preliminary arraignment at Lehigh County’s Central Booking Center.
These cases were investigated by the Lehigh County Drug Task Force and will be prosecuted by Chief Deputy District Attorneys Craig W. Scheetz and Kevin P. McCloskey.
As in every criminal case, the fact that an arrest has occurred or a complaint has been filed are merely accusations; and the accused, Zachary Cole Borghi, is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 