Zachary Borghi, who serves as a Democratic commissioner in Lehigh, Pennsylvania, is now embroiled in a serious legal situation, facing a multitude of felony drug charges linked to an active narcotics investigation.
Previously the City of Bethlehem’s right-to-know officer, Borghi was apprehended at his residence and arraigned last month. Currently, he is being held at Lehigh County Jail, unable to post his $500,000 bail.
Among the charges are 89 counts of criminal use of a communications facility, 14 for delivery of cocaine, and one for delivering psilocybin mushrooms. The basis for these charges stem from a forensic analysis of Borghi’s cellphone and Apple iCloud data from November 2023 to August 2025, which allegedly revealed text messages coordinating drug transactions.
Locations implicated include his home in Bethlehem, a relative’s house, Bethlehem City Hall, and Upper Saucon Township. One alarming accusation claims Borghi facilitated a drug transaction during a Lehigh County Board of Commissioners meeting, a claim supported by matching video evidence.
Zachary Cole-Borghi dem Lehigh County Commissioner is facing more than 100 new charges in connection with a large scale drug investigation. He is accused of selling cocaine from his home & Bethlehem City Hall. Just how corrupt are all these politicians? pic.twitter.com/GjqDXnQB1B
— RockyMtMama (@RockyMtMama1) March 30, 2026
Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan pointed out that the grand jury investigation initially brought Borghi to the attention of authorities, ultimately leading to more amassed evidence and the current charges.
Holihan elaborated on the meeting evidence, noting that video recordings allowed officials to correlate the timing of the messages recovered from Borghi’s phone with the proceedings of the meeting.
This situation follows Borghi’s initial involvement in a wide-reaching drug investigation by the Lehigh County 12th Investigating Grand Jury, targeting a network identified as “Death Before Dirt.” This organization reportedly engaged in significant marijuana distribution across several states, including Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, and Wisconsin, and was also involved in the production of counterfeit luxury apparel.
Borghi was among 22 individuals arrested in August 2025 as part of this expansive investigation, originally charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. Although he was released after posting $50,000 bail, details of these earlier charges remain sealed due to ongoing grand jury proceedings.
Despite the serious allegations, Borghi maintained his innocence in a public statement, asserting he has never sold drugs and claiming that the charges are politically motivated and a breach of his constitutional rights.
He was re-elected for a second term as commissioner in November 2025, but his position was terminated following this second arrest. As of early April 2026, Borghi is still listed on the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners site, though without any profile information.
No further comments regarding the recent arrest have been made by Borghi at this time.
