A Maryland man was arraigned Thursday morning for allegedly posing as a National Grid worker and stealing from a Herricks woman earlier this summer.

Police say Frank Nicholas posed as a National Grid worker in June to get inside a Pine Street home in Herricks. They say Nicholas told a 79-year-old woman he needed to check for a gas leak. Once inside, he allegedly stole gold jewelry.

In similar incidents reported in Westbury and Syosset, a man posing as a utility worker distracted homeowners while an accomplice ransacked their home.

Nassau Chief of Detectives Kevin Smith says senior citizens are often targeted in distraction burglaries.

Nicholas faces second-degree burglary charges. He was ordered held on $75,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond. He's due back in court Oct. 9.