Couple Charged With Check Stealing Face Trial

A Romanian Couple charged with felonies in two jurisdictions faced their preliminary hearing on Monday in front of District Justice Michael Manfredi. Ionel Mihai, 35 and Adela Chiciu, 27 were charged with felony conspiracy, theft, forgery and access device fraud for stealing checks and other valuables from mailboxes at churches in North Strabane Township and Peters Township. The preliminary hearing was a combination hearing between North Strabane and Peters Township judiciaries in order to streamline an already difficult case. The couple is from Romania and does not speak English. An interpreter was used to help the couple understand the hearing. Detectives Gary Scherer from the North Strabane Police Department and Evan Caruso from the Peters Township Police Department testified to video evidence of the couple stealing from mailboxes. Evidence turned over by Northwest Bank proved the forging of endorsements on checks deposited into accounts opened by the couple. The couple was arrested at a hotel near Washington. They have no address in the United States and are considered homeless. Manfredi was asked to modify bail but he declined to change the decisions of two other justices. Mihai and Chiciu are being held in the Washington County jail without bond.