Cat burglar sentenced to 5 years

A cat burglar described by the Suffolk district attorney as a "one-man crime wave" was sentenced Thursday to five years in state prison by Judge Martin Efman.

Errol D. Barham, 23, of Copiague pleaded guilty to seven counts of second-degree burglary and one count of fourth-degree grand larceny and to possession of burglary tools.

District Attorney Thomas Spota said, "The most disturbing aspect of this case is that most of these homes were occupied at the time Barham robbed them in the middle of the night."

Barham was arrested last July when police stopped him and found him with burglary tools as he rode his bicycle in North Lindenhurst.

Barham, officials said, would often pick his targets while riding a bicycle through residential neighborhoods, such as Lindenhurst, North Babylon, Deer Park and West Babylon. Once inside those homes, he would steal items such as laptop computers, jewelry, cameras, credit cards and cash, officials said.

Spota's office had recommended that Barham be imprisoned for 15 years.