Lehigh County Commissioner dealt cocaine at Bethlehem City Hall, police claim

Lehigh County Commissioner Zachary Cole Borghi was arrested Wednesday morning, police said, and he’s facing charges after he has been accused of dealing cocaine from 2023 to 2025 at locations throughout the region — including from his office in Bethlehem’s City Hall.

On Wednesday morning, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan announced Cole Borghi’s arrest and said he will face charges including delivery of a controlled substance and other offenses after being accused of buying and selling illegal drugs from November 2023 through August of 2025.

According to police, the new charges were brought after police announced an investigation into Cole Borghi last year.

As part of that investigation, officials said, police reviewed a cell phone that belonged to Cole Borghi and allege that text messages from 2021 through the end of August 2025 show the Lehigh County commissioner was buying and selling cocaine and other drugs during the period between November of 2023 and August of 2025.

Officials claim text messages reviewed by police indicate that he used his cell phone to conduct drug deals from the following locations:

• Cole Borghi’s home on the 700 block of Spring Street in Bethlehem in Lehigh County
• A relative’s home on the 300 block of 6th Avenue in Bethlehem in Lehigh County
• Bethlehem City Hall, where Cole Borghi was employed, in Northampton County
• An unspecified location in Upper Saucon Township in Lehigh County

Also, police claim, Cole Borghi even facilitated a drug transaction during a meeting of the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners, which are held at the Lehigh County Government Center in Allentown.

And, he is alleged to have conducted a cocaine sale at Northampton County Community College while attending a “Peace and Justice Symposium” that was presented by the Lehigh Valley Justice Institute.

Cole Borghi has been charged with 89 counts of criminal use of a communication facility for using his cell phone to conduct drug deals, police said, and he faces 14 counts of delivery of cocaine.

Officials said Wednesday morning that Cole Borghi was in police custody as he awaits an arraignment hearing.