STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) – The so-called dinnertime bandit pulled off his thefts with stealth and sophistication, clad in black clothes as he climbed the columns of wealthy homes to slip in through second-floor windows and make off with expensive jewelry, authorities say.
On Friday, after nine years on the run in Europe, the suspected bandit Alan W. Golder was brought before a judge Friday for arraignment.
Golder, 52, did not enter a plea and was ordered held on a $3 million bond. Prosecutors say he had been living in Belgium and Paris and has had seven aliases.
Authorities have said Golder is also a suspect in 50 burglaries in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, totaling about $5 million in stolen jewelry.
He was extradited from Belgium on Wednesday. Greenwich police charged him with nearly 40 felony counts, including burglary, larceny, robbery and kidnapping, in the break-ins that occurred in the 1990s.
Authorities estimate nearly $1 million in goods were taken in the Greenwich thefts.
The homes were broken into mostly at sundown or early evening when many residents were home and alarm systems were off. Authorities say most of the break-ins occurred through second-story windows and once in the suspect targeted bedrooms, moving about quietly and leaving little trace of anyone being there.
“It appeared …. that the suspect(s) were intentionally tidy in their efforts, indicating that the residents were home during the burglary or the suspect(s) sought to delay the discovery,” according to an arrest affidavit in the 1997 burglary of a waterfront home in Greenwich.
In that break-in, police allege that Golder used a neighbor’s ladder to get to the second floor, enter a bedroom and make off with expensive Rolex and Movado watches.
In arrest affidavits, authorities detail the hallmarks of a accomplished thief who prided himself as the best.
Even without a ladder, Golder could get into an upstairs window by shinnying up support columns or scaling gutters, authorities say. He wore gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints and a black “ninja” type suit with a black hood with slits for eye holes, according to arrest records released in court Friday.
But he left some evidence behind, including a distinctive tread pattern from a Reebok Exo-Fit sneaker, authorities say.
During one burglary, an 8-year-old girl screamed when she saw him, prompting Golder to dive out the bathroom window onto a flat roof.
“This maneuver required a marked degree of dexterity as the window or frame was not damaged during the flight,” the arrest affidavit states.
During another robbery, investigators said Golder physically restrained a woman when she came into the master bedroom. “You had to come in the bedroom,” he told her.
The homeowner was “manipulated in a strong arm fashion” through the house as the robber asked for fine jewelry. After she objected to being put in a closet, he tied her to a bed with neckties belonging to her husband and stole her Jaguar, the arrest warrant says.
Although he wore a mask, the homeowner described the robber as having a ruddy complexion, stark blue eyes and wisps of red/auburn hair.
A search of Golder’s apartment turned up “Millionaire Magazine” “the Robb Report” about rich and famous lifestyles and a Gemstone textbook. In prison, Golder would read books about mansions and jewelry, according to the arrest affidavit.
Police say Golder used a screwdriver to pry off panes of glass and carried a diamond tester.
His brother, John Kulp, who sometimes was his driver, told police that Golder “gets a rush” out of burglarizing homes while the owners are home.
On the ride back to New York, Golder would test the gems, police said. He sold the stolen jewelry in the New York diamond district and sometimes traded for fake identification, including a false international driver’s license.
Golder’s brother was arrested in Las Vegas in 1998. It was not immediately clear whether he was convicted.
The Greenwich burglaries occurred while Golder was out on parole for the 1978 murder of Long Island, N.Y., real estate developer Lawrence Lever. Lever was fatally shot by an accomplice of Golder during a break-in at his home. Golder served 15 years in prison and was paroled in June 1996. The Greenwich burglaries began three months later.
Golder was last living in Queens, N.Y. When he fled his home, he left behind a copy of a story proposal about his life titled “”Precious Metal: Confessions of a Rock ‘n’ Roll Jewel Thief.” It dealt with his life before he went to prison. Police have said they did not know how much of the story was true and that it did not contain any information that helped in the current investigation.
Golder was arrested in Belgium on Dec. 14, 2006, and his identity was confirmed through fingerprints, authorities said.
Segments on Golder were broadcast repeatedly on television’s “America’s Most Wanted” and “Unsolved Mysteries” after his disappearance.
He is due back in court Dec. 11. Golder was represented by a public defender who said Golder may retain a private attorney as the case progresses.
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