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College nursing students come to Northwest Area

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Reilly Finishing Technologies donates to Candy’s Place

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Luzerne County Judge Michael Vough accepted a guilty plea on Friday from Michael James Sluck to one felony count of criminal conspiracy following a burglary at an area church.</p><p>Sluck was remanded to State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill as part of his plea agreement. The agreement also withdrew one county of theft and one county of receiving stolen property.</p><p>According to court papers, Hazleton police responded to a burglary at 7:45 a .m. May 12 at St. John&#8217;s Byzantine Catholic Church, 5 E. 20th St. Sluck had forced their way into the church through an outside window and a solid wood door inside the building. The main lock and deadbolt were torn from the door.</p><p>Police determined a gun safe was taken from the church. Inside the safe was $5,000 cash and a custom made chalice set, valued approximately $15,000.</p><p>Video surveillance from the church was obtained by the police, which showed a dark pick up truck circle the area several times before approaching a door at the south side of the church. The truck then went toward Church Street in Hazleton.</p><p>The truck matching the description pulled into Turkey Hill on 15th and Alter Street. Officers were able to identify Sluck.</p><p>Sluck&#8217;s girlfriend, according to police, and the owner of the pickup truck and implicated Sluck as the one who committed the burglary. The girlfriend showed police the safe which was covered with a maroon sheet in the rear of 617 W. Third St.</p><p>Officers told Sluck about his girlfriend&#8217;s information, and he turned himself in, obtaining at least $900 in cash from the safe. He also wrote a written statement admitting his involvement.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Melanie Mizenko</p><p>mmizenko@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Man who stole safe from Hazleton church pleads guilty