Allentown Woman Faked Noose Incident At City Hall, DA Says

By Jillian Pikora From Daily Voice

A woman who claimed a noose was left on her desk at Allentown City Hall has been accepted into a first-time offender program after investigators determined she faked the incident, prosecutors announced on Thursday, Aug. 7.

Latarsha Brown, 43, of Allentown, appeared before Judge Anna-Kristie M. Marks and was admitted into the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program for first-time offenders, according to Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan.

Brown had faced two misdemeanor charges: False Reports – Reported Offense Did Not Occur and Tampering with/Fabricating Physical Evidence, court documents state.

She was ordered to remain in the ARD program for two years—the maximum time permitted—and to pay $1,985 to the Pennsylvania State Police for DNA testing, as well as court costs. Upon successful completion and payment, her record will be expunged.

To enter the program, Brown admitted to the following:

On Jan. 10, 2025, she arrived at her third-floor City Hall office around 7 a.m. About 30 minutes later, she reported finding an item resembling a small noose on her desk and claimed she had touched it.

Allentown police launched a criminal investigation with assistance from the FBI. All employees in the area agreed to submit DNA samples—including Brown, who initially cooperated but later refused and asked for the investigation to be closed.

On Jan. 24, prosecutors obtained a warrant to collect her DNA. On March 10, state police forensic scientists reported that Brown’s DNA was the only one found on the noose.

The case was investigated by Allentown Police Detective Harold Bonser and prosecuted by Chief Deputy District Attorney Jeffrey D. Burd.