34°
Andrew D. Gold, 33, was convicted at trial in August and sentenced to 1-2 years plus 12 years probation at a sentencing hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 3, said Deputy District Attorney Brittney Kern in a statement.
According to evidence reviewed in court, Gold first made contact with the unnamed victim in 2015 — approaching her in public and trying to strike up a conversation. That proved fruitless for the stalker, who began making unwanted contact with the victim on social media as well, Kern said.
Gold escalated his harassment campaign to disturbing heights, eventually sitting in his car or hiding in bushes to watch her Bedminster Township home with binoculars, prosecutors said. He also used unspecified "listening devices" while spying on the woman.
Investigators said they found incriminating searches on the 33-year-old's computer. Not only was he searching online for information about his victim and her family members, but authorities also said Gold was researching lethal poisons and reading about hiring a hitman before his arrest in late 2021.
For his “six years of escalating terror," Kern said the stalker "poses a serious danger to the community and the victim."
After his release from prison, Gold will remain on probation for 12 years, including electronic monitoring for the first nine months, Judge Gary B. Gilman ordered on Tuesday.
Gold must also never make contact with the victim or her family again, and must remain 2,500 feet from her for the rest of his life, Kern said.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Allentown and receive free news updates.
