Niles fires employee who stole $97,000 from church

Staff report

NILES

Michael Marrara, 59, of Sayers Avenue, who pleaded guilty Nov. 25 to stealing $97,000 from Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Niles, was terminated from his job as a sewer maintenance worker.

His termination letter from Mayor Ralph Infante, effective immediately Monday afternoon, said Marrara was being fired for pleading guilty to a felony charge in relation to the church thefts.

The letter cited a city ordinance that says any city employee charged with or indicted on a felony or charged with acts of malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance can be suspended with or without pay pending the outcome of criminal proceedings.

Marrara is likely to be sentenced within a few weeks by a common pleas court judge. He could get up to 18 months in prison.

The termination letter says the hearing officer that Marrara chose, Carmen Vivolo, Niles recreation director, “found that there was just cause to move forward with the next phase of discipline” outlined in the collective-bargaining agreement that covers Marrara.

Infante wrote: “After review of all documents submitted and hearing officer’s report, it is hereby determined that you will be terminated immediately from your job at the city of Niles. Effective Dec. 28, 2015.”

Marrara pleaded guilty to grand theft for using the church credit card to pay for personal items while working as maintenance supervisor for the church from 2007 to 2014.

Among them were $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 Sprint telephone company; and $7,541 for Time Warner cable services, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors say they will ask for restitution.