2 men charged in theft of cash from church

WARREN -- Two city men charged with theft of cash from Blessed Sacrament Church were released on bonds after municipal court arraignments.
Joseph Shaker, 45, of Genesee Avenue, pleaded innocent to the felony theft of $7,200 in cash from the 3020 Reeves Road N.E. church, and was released on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond. He will be before Judge Terry Ivanchak for a preliminary hearing on April 12.
Gary Givens, 43, of Glenwood Street, pleaded innocent to petty theft of $310 and will have a May 18 preliminary hearing before Judge Ivanchak; his personal recognizance bond is $1,000.
Warren police said Shaker did chores at the church, and that Givens is an acquaintance of his. They were not involved in collections or church financial matters.
The church's lawyer, Anthony Rossi III, said through a spokeswoman that the investigation is ongoing and that he could not comment.
The arrests followed an investigation by city and Howland police.