Crime & Safety
Man Awaiting Sentencing Spends New Year's Eve in Jail, Police Say
Police say Allentown man awaiting sentencing on drug charges lied about identity in I-78 stop in Upper Mac.
An Allentown man already awaiting sentencing for Lehigh County crimes landed in jail on New Year's Eve and is still in jail after he was stopped on Interstate 78 in Upper Macungie, police said.
A state police fax says Francisco Ihelefeld, 34, of 314 N. 16th St. was stopped on I-78 at the Route 100 exit shortly after 2pm Dec. 31 for driving without insurance.
Police said Ihelefeld then lied about his identity and was found to have a suspended driver's license, the fax says.
Police also found he had two outstanding arrest warrants -- one from state police at Bethlehem and the other from Allentown police.
In the I-78 incident, he was arraigned at 8pm New Year's Eve by on-duty District Judge Michael Pochron of Salisbury Township on charges of false identification to law enforcement and driving while license is suspended.
He was committed to Lehigh County Prison in lieu of $1,000 bail, online court records say. He waived the charges at a preliminary hearing last Tuesday (Jan. 7) in Lehigh County Central Court and was returned to county prison, the records say.
The records also say:
--Ihelefeld pleaded guilty this past Nov. 5 in Lehigh County Court to drug charges in Allentown and is awaiting sentencing.
--He also pleaded guilty in county court July 24, 2013 to charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, having a suspended driver's license and "improper sunscreening." The charges also were from Allentown.
--He's also facing drug charges and a charge of driving with a suspended license stemming from an Aug. 30, 2013 incident. The charges were brought by state police at Bethlehem. Formal arraignment is Feb. 28.
