Ex-church maintenance worker gets prison for $97K theft

By Ed Runyan | February 4, 2016 at 12:04a.m.

WARREN

Former Niles sewer-maintenance worker Michael Marrara, who stole $97,000 while working as maintenance supervisor for Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Niles, said he was “really sorry” for the thefts.

But Judge W. Wyatt McKay of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court said Wednesday Marrara “shows no remorse” for the crime and has a previous felony conviction, so he’s going to prison for a year.

Marrara, 59, of Sayers Avenue, Niles, was handcuffed in preparation for going immediately to prison. He pleaded guilty earlier to grand theft and could have gotten up to 18 months in prison.

“I’m really sorry it happened. I want it to go away. I want to get it over with,” Marrara told Judge McKay before sentencing.

The judge also ordered Marrara to pay back the $97,000 he took from the church between 2007 and 2014 while working as maintenance supervisor for the church.

The Rev. John-Michael Lavelle said in early 2014 he discovered within the first two weeks of his arrival at the parish in June 2012 that Marrara purchased about $22 worth of pool chemicals on the church credit card, even though the church doesn’t have a pool.

When the priest asked him about it, Marrara said he had meant to pay back the church for the chemicals but forgot.

Father Lavelle learned from the previous priest that Marrara had admitted taking $9,300 from the church earlier and had promised to pay it back. But Marrara had made only two $300 payments, then stopped paying in 2011.

Father Lavelle called Niles police immediately after learning about the pool chemicals but waited to terminate Marrara from his job until a couple of weeks later, July 23, 2012. He was advised to wait until the annual Mount Carmel Festival was over since Marrara also was the festival chairman, the pastor said.

Church officials reviewed Marrara’s use of the church credit card and discovered he had used it for the following: $2,838 for campground sites in Portage County; $9,974 for tuition at Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio, for relatives of Marrara’s; $9,783 at Sears; $10,702 at a gas station; $15,103 in charges to the telephone company Sprint; and $7,541 for Time Warner cable services.

Chris Becker, assistant county prosecutor, said Marrara also used the card for vacations and repairs to his personal vehicle.

Former Niles Mayor Ralph Infante fired Marrara from his job with the city in late December, just before Infante’s last day as mayor.