Arizona Man Convicted in Burglary; Flew in for Heist

Photo courtesy of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department

By Bay City News Service

A man accused of flying to the Bay Area from Arizona to steal tens of thousands of dollars in jewelry from a Woodside home in 2012 was convicted by a jury Tuesday of burglary and grand theft, prosecutors said.

Bradley Sullivan, 52, was charged last year in connection with the May 28, 2012, burglary. Prosecutors said he and 49-year-old Michael Wallen stole between $30,000 and $50,000 in jewelry that day.

The two men flew from Glendale, Ariz., to the Bay Area for two days on a travel package arranged by Sullivan’s girlfriend. They rented a car and drove to Woodside, where they were captured on surveillance footage in front of the burglarized home, prosecutors said.

The video shows one man going inside while the other stays behind to cover up the car’s license plate -- but not before it was caught on camera, according to prosecutors.

It took a year before investigators connected them to the burglary and searched their Arizona home. When they did, the found some of the jewelry taken during the burglary, according to prosecutors.

Wallen pleaded no contest to burglary and grand theft charges on July 13 in exchange for a sentence of no more than three years in prison, Deputy District Attorney Karen Guidotti said. He had two prior convictions in Arizona for a home burglary and a vehicle burglary.

Sullivan, who also had a prior conviction, could face a sentence of up to 17 years in prison when he’s sentenced on Sept. 10, Guidotti said. He remains in custody under $500,000 bail.