Man receives suspended sentence for stealing €70,000 from parish

A court in Lithuania has sentenced a young man to a suspended prison term for stealing around €70,000 from a parish rectory, local media LRT reports.

Panevėžys District Court ruled that 24-year-old Marius Balčiūnas will serve one year and eight months in prison, with the sentence suspended for two years. The court ordered Balčiūnas to work or register with the Employment Service, participate in behavioural correction programmes, and not leave his district of residence without permission from the supervising authority.

Balčiūnas, who had previously worked odd jobs for the parish priest, broke into the rectory of Smilgiai St. George Parish on December 7, 2025, through the basement. He stole over €65,000 and approximately $2,700 belonging to the parish and the priest, Eugenijus Staleronkas. Most of the stolen money—found in the priest’s office desk and an unlocked safe—was recovered during searches. The court established that Balčiūnas had spent over €2,100 of the stolen funds.

Balčiūnas pleaded guilty, expressed remorse, and promised to repay the spent amount. The court also granted the priest’s civil claim, ordering Balčiūnas to compensate €2,100 in material damages.

Judge Česlovas Kulikauskas stated that the suspended sentence was justified due to the spontaneous and unplanned nature of the crime, Balčiūnas’ unemployment and disability, and the fact that most of the stolen property was recovered and returned. The verdict is not yet final and can be appealed to a higher court.