Romanian couple charged again with stealing church donations
A couple from Romania who were arrested in September on accusations they stole church donations in Peters Township are facing new charges involving identical thefts in a three-county area.
The suspects, Ionel Mihai, 35, and Adela Chiciu, 27, who are homeless, waived some of the new cases Wednesday to Washington County Court before District Judge Jesse Pettit, online court records indicate.
The new forgery and related charges stem from checks with a total amount of more than $9,000 that were stolen in July from churches in Peters Township, Hunker in Westmoreland County and one other in Upper St. Clair, charging documents show.
The victims, which include congregants and clients, were identified as Peace Lutheran, Our Redeemer, Lakeside Baptist and Forest Lawn Cemetery, all in Peters. The Westmoreland victims were Armbrust Wesleyan Church and Armbrust Christian Academy. Three other checks also were stolen from Westminster Presbyterian Church in Upper St. Clair.
The couple were identified in September from surveillance in another mail theft case in North Strabane that led Peters Township police to a motel where they were living.
They have since been detained in Washington County jail without bond where they are awaiting a plea court date in the county courthouse.