A Howard County man who made a videotape for police on the subject of burglary is linked to more than 1,000 Florida break-ins involving the theft of $500,000 in gold and gems, authorities say.
Richard Makofski, 35, of Elkridge is charged in a fugitive felony warrant in Florida with stealing property in three counties, authorities said.Howard County police arrested Makofski, who also has an apartment in Lake Worth, Fla., at his Elkridge home. Palm Beach detectives in Howard County earlier this week seized 12.5 pounds of gold ingots from his home.
Makofski was convicted of burglary in Howard County in 1985 and was sentenced to three years in the county jail after pleading guilty to three counts of burglary.
At the time, county police were so impressed with his technical skill that Makofski taught a class at the police academy on how to detect burglars and made a videotape on the methodology of burglary.