Former NYPD cop under arrest as 'Bling Bandit'

Former NYPD cop under arrest as 'Bling Bandit'
The Staten Island Advance - August 29, 2008

A former city police detective is under arrest on bank robbery charges and the Queens DA says he's the so-called Bling Bandit. A spokesman for the Queens District Attorney says 59-year-old Athelston Kelson will be arraigned later today. He was being held at the 105th Precinct in Queens. The Bling Bandit -- who wears a flashy pinkie ring and watch during stickups -- is wanted in connection with nine bank robberies over the past 2 1/2 months. Seven were on Long Island and two were in Queens. During some of the robberies, the man displayed what appears to be a black semiautomatic handgun. The robbery spree began on June 12; the last heist was Tuesday.