Whitehall tax collector charged with harassing owners of homeless nonprofit

A former Republican mayoral candidate and tax collector for Whitehall Township is facing charges of harassment and official oppression after, law enforcement officials allege, she intentionally lied to harass the owners of The Caring Place nonprofit organization.

In a statement released Wednesday, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said Whitehall Township Tax Collector Tina Koren is facing harassment and official oppression charges after she, allegedly, engaged in behavior harassing her neighbors, Mary Ellen and Steven Griffin, who own The Caring Place nonprofit organization.

According to police, the incidents involved with these charges began after the Griffins — who live along the 3300 block of South Ruch Street in Whitehall and are Koren’s neighbors — filed a complaint against Koren alleging harassing behavior in September of 2025.

The complaint initially arose after, officials said, the Griffins constructed a greenhouse on their property as a way to grow fresh vegetables to be donated to families though The Caring Place, which is dedicated to providing food, shelter, clothing and support services to the area’s homeless population.

In June of 2025, Koren filed a complaint alleging the greenhouse was constructed without a permit, officials said.

However, shortly afterward, the Griffins completed the needed paperwork and paid all necessary fees to have the greenhouse, according to police.

Following this incident, police allege Koren, acting in her role as a tax collector, “sent several misleading emails to the company contracted by the township to handle business taxes” targeting the Griffins.

Koren claimed the Griffins were running a portion of The Caring Place business from their home in violation of township tax law, officials said.

But, according to police, that organization does not conduct any business activity at the Griffin home or property in Whitehall Township, officials said.

Because of this misinformation, police said, the Griffins were sent tax bills and notices that were authorized by Koren.

In one incident, in an email that, police said, Koren sent in support of her misleading claims, she included a photo taken of the Griffins’ home, with a van bearing the logo for The Caring Place, parked out front.

“This is one of the many pictures I have received from Whitehall residents who are legitimately paying for a business license,” the email read, police claim.

But, law enforcement officials said, an investigation determined that the photo was, instead, taken from inside Koren’s home.

Police claim Koren, in her role as tax collector, intended to mislead the business tax collection agency in order to “subject the Griffins to unfair assessment, mistreatment, infringement of personal and property rights which did alarm and seriously annoy the Griffins and served no legitimate purpose and harassed the Griffins.”

Koren was previously a Republican candidate for mayor of Whitehall Township. She lost to Democratic candidate Joseph Marx in 2023.