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WILKES-BARRE — Two brothers from Edwardsville facing charges they burglarized a church in Kingston were arraigned Tuesday on similar allegations they ransacked rectories at places of worship in Wilkes-Barre during the holiday season.
Police allege Dustan Conniff, 23, and Cody Conniff, 19, burglarized the rectory at St. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Church on North River Street busting open a safe and a strong box and stealing a second safe.
Dustan Conniff is further charged with forcing his way inside the rectory at St. Andre Bessette Church on North Main Street and stealing a large amount of cash from a safe and a desk drawer in an office.
Police allege the burglary at St. Peter and Paul occurred on Nov. 26, a day before Thanksgiving, and the burglary at St. Andre happened before Dec. 21.
Dustan Conniff and Cody Conniff were initially arrested by Kingston police on Jan. 9 on charges they ransacked the Church of Christ Uniting on Sprague Avenue on Jan. 3. A surveillance video inside Church of Christ recorded the two thieves. They have been jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $5,000 bail each on the Kingston charges.
District Judge Martin Kane in Wilkes-Barre arraigned Dustan Conniff on separate counts of burglary, theft and criminal mischief and one count each of receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy. Cody Conniff was arraigned on charges of burglary, theft, receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy.
Dustan Conniff and Cody Conniff were remanded to the county correctional facility for lack of $60,000 and $30,000 bail, respectively, on the latest charges.
According to the criminal complaints:
Police said the brothers removed the safe from St. Peter and Paul and took it to an Edwardsville residence where they were allowed to stay by the homeowner. They told the homeowner the safe belonged to their deceased mother.
When the safe was forced open, the brothers discovered it contained no money but church documents, the complaints say.
The homeowner told the brothers to leave his residence with the safe and documents. The homeowner discovered the church documents under a sink while thawing frozen pipes in mid-January, police said.
Dustan Conniff allegedly admitted he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol when he burglarized St. Andre Bessette.
Kingston police allege the brothers forced open a window at Church of Christ Uniting and damaged a keypad to the fire alarm system and removing $30 from a drawer, court records say.