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Monroe County Native And NFL Hopeful Amitral 'AJ ' Simon Dies Week Before Draft
Amitral "AJ" Simon, a Tobyhanna native and NFL prospect, died Tuesday, April 16, just one week before the 2024 draft, according to loved ones on GoFundMe. He was 25.
"Our family lost a piece of our heart that will forever be missed," wrote campaign organizers.
"AJ was an amazing son, brother, uncle, teammate, friend, and inspiration to many. He was a star on and off the field with an immense impact on the youth and community."
Loved ones said he was "at the pinnacle of his football career" and had hopes of playing professionally.
Simon was a defensive lineman for the Universit…
Human Remains ID'd As Poconos Man Missing Since 2012: Coroner
A Monroe County man who went missing more than a decade ago died from a gunshot wound to the head, according to officials.
The remains of Stephen C. Lepore were unearthed at 95 Peet Road in Dreher Township, Wayne County, said the Coroner's Office.
The skeletal remains were discovered by an unknown party on Tuesday morning, Oct. 17, and identified as Lepore using dental records on Thursday, Oct. 19, Coroner Edward R. Howell said.
Lepore, of Tobyhanna, was last seen on the morning of August 17, 2012, driving his 2007 Chevrolet Express, state police investigators have said.
Stephen C…
Poconos Man Stole Drugs From His Impounded Car, Police Say
A Monroe County man faces criminal trespassing charges for allegedly trying to sneak into a police impound lot and remove marijuana from his confiscated car, authorities say.
Leroy Litus, 23, of Tobyhanna, was pulled over by Pocono Township police for a traffic stop around 3 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12, the department said.
Officers claimed they could smell marijuana and asked for permission to search Litus' car, which he declined. Police seized the vehicle and impounded it while they worked to obtain a search warrant, authorities said.
A few hours later, at about 5 a.m., off…
Services Set For Bethlehem Motorcyclist, Loving Dad Scotty Bernard Killed By Drunk Driver At 35
Funeral services have been set for Scotty Andrew Bernard, the Bethlehem motorcyclist and loving father who was struck and killed by a drunk driver on Sunday, Oct. 30 at the age of 35.
Scotty, formerly of Tobyhanna, was hit at the intersection of Rt. 378 and the entrance to Saucon Valley Square in Lower Saucon Township around 9:50 p.m., authorities said.
The driver, Jacob Mark Conklin, 35, of Salisbury Township, was charged with a second-degree felony count of accidents involving death or personal injury, as well as misdemeanor DUI, according to a report from LehighValleyLive.
Born in Manha…
Authorities: Ring Got 30,000 Painkiller Pills With Prescription Blanks Swiped From NJ Hospitals
Using prescription blanks stolen from hospitals in Bergen and Passaic counties, a crew used a single pharmacy to get its hands on 30,000 high-dose oxycodone pills, including a year’s worth of painkillers prescribed to a dead man, authorities charged.
The volume eventually gave them away, state and federal law enforcement officials said.
Milagros Santiago, 43, of Haledon, was working as a pharmacy technician at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson when she swiped prescription blanks, state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said.
The forged blanks were then filled at Panther Vall…
27 More Arrests Made In Takedown Of Westchester Drug Ring
This story has been updated.
Twenty-seven more arrests have been made, bringing the total to 49, as part of a lengthy investigation into heroin sales in Westchester, the Bronx, and Pennsylvania.
New Rochelle Capt. Cosmo Costa said that on Tuesday, Sept. 10, five search warrants were executed in Yonkers, the Bronx, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, as part of "Operation Red Smiley," leading to various charges for the suspects, one of whom remains at large.
More than two kilos of heroin were seized along with marijuana and weapons.
Those arrested on Tuesday were are fa…