“Irreplaceable” Items Stolen from Binghamton Church Recovered

A downtown Binghamton resident has been accused of stealing many valuable items from a Court Street church.

Authorities said 53-year-old Randy Ives of Rutherford Street was arrested in connection with a break-in at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. He has been charged with third-degree burglary.

According to Binghamton police detectives, the break-in at the church located at 214 Court Street was reported last Friday.

Police officers determined someone had entered the building through a second-floor window. Several religious articles of high value were taken in the burglary.

Detectives executed a search warrant at the suspect's residence. They believe all of the items stolen from the church have been recovered.

Alexander Kermidas, who has been a member of the Binghamton church for decades, told WNBF News that there appeared to have been little damage at the building aside from a broken window.

Kermidas said he believes last week's theft of items may be the most serious incident since the church has been at the Court Street site.

The building is designated as a local landmark property by the city of Binghamton. It originally was home to a Sons of Italy lodge when it was constructed in 1927.

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church has occupied the site for nearly nine decades.

Kermidas said he hopes to put a spotlight on the area around the church so more efforts can be made to improve the neighborhood and help those who live there.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.