Syracuse, NY - A Camillus man was indicted today in connection with the gunpoint theft of the collection basket from Holy Family Church two years ago. Michael P. Delaney Jr., 18, of 3981 Onondaga Boulevard, was indicted on a single felony count of second-degree robbery. Delaney was 16 at the time of the incident July 13, 2008. He is...
View full sizeHoly Family Church in Camillus.Syracuse, NY - A Camillus man was indicted today in connection with the gunpoint theft of the collection basket from Holy Family Church two years ago.
Michael P. Delaney Jr., 18, of 3981 Onondaga Boulevard, was indicted on a single felony count of second-degree robbery. Delaney was 16 at the time of the incident July 13, 2008.
He is accused of forcibly stealing the collection basket from a 15-year-old altar boy as the victim brought the basket from the church to the parish center after Sunday Mass. Authorities said Delaney was armed with a pellet gun and wearing a ski mask at the time.
Delaney told authorities he had borrowed his mother’s car while she was away and the vehicle ended up being towed for being parked illegally. He said he needed the money to get the car back before his mother got home.
A plea deal that would have allowed Delaney to avoid jail was blocked by Onondaga County Judge William Walsh last September.
The prosecution and Delaney’s lawyer had worked out a deal calling for the teenager to plead guilty to second-degree robbery and be placed on probation, ordered to perform 200 hours of community service and be treated as a youthful offender, removing the felony conviction from his record.
Walsh told the lawyers he would go along with the youthful offender treatment but not the probationary sentence. The judge said Delaney deserved a sentence of one to three years in prison for the robbery.