DA: 'Ninja Burglar' Pleads Guilty In Connection With Tri-State Crime Spree
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A man known as the "ninja burglar" has pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree burglary after a decade-long crime spree around the Tri-State area, authorities announced Thursday.
Robert Costanzo, 46, faces 25 years in prison and five years post-release supervision when he is sentenced on June 14, Richmond County District Attorney Michael McMahon said.
Costanzo was arraigned Wednesday. Prosecutors said the convicted rapist and registered sex offender admitted to roughly 150 break-ins that spanned a decade starting in 2005.
The district attorney said most of Costanzo's crimes were across high-end Staten Island neighborhoods. Authorities said he is also linked to similar crimes in New Jersey, upstate New York and Connecticut.
Authorities said Costanzo would wear all black clothing with his face covered. They said the break-ins often involved a ladder that was used to gain access to a terrace or window.
One of the victims spoke to CBS2 about his encounter eight years ago when he found the bandit at 1 a.m. in his kitchen holding nunchucks.
"And there, standing, facing me was a ninja. A guy dress up as a ninja," Phil Chiolo said.
Costanzo is charged with only three of the crimes because the statute of limitations expired on the other burglaries.
"Finally unmasked as the 'ninja burglar,' Mr. Costanzo has taken responsibility for these three burglaries and will receive a substantial prison sentence," McMahon said in a statement.
According to Costanzo's attorney, his client doesn't feel bad about stealing money, CBS2 reported.
"He feels bad about any emotional trauma that they went through," defense attorney John Sawicki said. "He's not happy about harming anybody, physically or emotionally. Fortunately, there was nothing physical that was involved in the last 10 years."
McMahon said the plea agreement will be concurrent to jail terms in Connecticut and New Jersey as well as in Albany and Saratoga counties in New York.
