Police scam warning

The Northampton County Sheriff’s Department has received several calls from citizens reporting that they received a phone call from “Sgt. James Riley” of the NCSD. Riley informed them that they have a warrant or that they owe fines and threatened them with jail time if the fines are not paid by credit card or bitcoin.

The public should be aware that this is a scam. The Northampton County Sheriff’s Department does not call residents and solicit money in lieu of arrest.

Please report any suspicious solicitations to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office at 1-800-441-2555 or email them to scams@attorneygeneral.gov.

Bethlehem man sentenced

Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan has announced a Bethlehem man was sentenced Oct. 21 for a homicide and robbery that both occurred in 2023.

Abner Juarbe, 19, stole a handgun from a victim at a Hanover Township hotel March 22 of that year, and the next day, during an altercation in Allentown between two teenage girls, he shot 39-year-old Darnell Thompson several times.

Juarbe pleaded guilty to robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and murder in the third degree. He is sentenced to serve 22 to 50 years in state prison.