A man with more than 50 criminal convictions who 12 years ago escaped from police headquarters, then mailed back his handcuffs, was denied a furlough from jail Friday to deal with the recent death of his mother.

Fred W. Nolan, Jr., requested a leave from Geiger Corrections Center to help get his late mother’s affairs in order, but Spokane County Superior Court Judge Ellen Kalama Clark ordered he stay behind bars and cited his dozens of felony convictions.

Nolan, 40, is being held on $5,000 bail for burglary and malicious mischief charges. He was arrested in June, accused of break-ins at offices in the Empire Health Services building at 601 W. Fifth Ave. Police found a green Otter Pop popsicle wrapper in the building that was submitted for fingerprints; green liquid was located throughout the offices, according to court records.

Nolan has at least 51 criminal convictions, mostly for theft and burglary, dating back to 1983. (See his record here.)

He's served five prison sentences, including a three-year stint after he escaped from the Public Safety Building while handcuffed in 1997. The stunt earned him the nickname "Strollin' Nolan."

Past coverage:

Whatever happened to: Strollin' Nolan

Handcuffed man escapes from police interrogation room

Doug Clark: Handcuffed escapees blames missteps

Doug Clark: Career burglar doesn't seem like a good loan risk

---

---