District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan recently announced a guilty plea for an Allentown man charged in a large-scale burglary ring that targeted numerous homes in Lehigh County and the surrounding areas.

Roger Juan Tirado, 53, pleaded guilty April 6 to felony charges of corrupt organizations, receiving stolen property, person not to possess a firearm and 16 counts of burglary.

Tirado entered the plea before Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas Judge Robert L. Steinberg and is scheduled to be sentenced at 9:30 a.m. June 4.

The open plea means Tirado faces a possible sentence of 137 1/2 to 357 years.

In 2024, Tirado was one of several people charged in a burglary ring that included stolen items valued at more than $160,000 and crimes that occurred in Lehigh, Berks and Northampton counties as well at least one home in New Jersey.

Beginning in 2019, Lehigh County law enforcement agencies were investigating burglaries and attempted burglaries at homes in Allentown, Bethlehem, Emmaus, Lower Macungie Township, Salisbury, South Whitehall, Upper Saucon, Upper Milford and Whitehall townships.

Investigators noted distinct patterns with the burglaries with entry made by prying open doors, windows or entering through an unlocked door.

Most of the burglaries happened during daylight hours and in several cases, residents and children were home at the time the crimes occurred and the defendants fled after being discovered.

Items recovered included more than 30 firearms, jewelry, coins, financial documents and electronics.

Several other defendants charged in this investigation had previously pleaded guilty.

One defendant, Jonathan Mendez, remains at large.

Another defendant is awaiting a hearing to determine competency.

These cases were investigated by Pennsylvania State Police Troopers Anthony Oliveri and Galen Clemons, Whitehall Township Police Detective Mark Schwendeman and South Whitehall Township Detective Tyler Doherty.

The cases were prosecuted by Chief Deputy District Attorney Jeffrey D. Burd and Deputy District Attorney Sis-Obed G. Torres-Figueroa.