Magistrate Gary Wilson set bail at a sum befitting a true Rockefeller — $50 million.
Investigators say "Rockefeller" is really Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, who has been living under fake identities since coming to the United States in 1978. He also has been identified as a "person of interest" in the 1985 disappearance of a California couple.
Gerhartsreiter pleaded not guilty in Suffolk Superior Court to charges he grabbed his daughter, Reigh, during a supervised visit, shoving away a court-appointed social worker, then fleeing in a hired car. He also was charged with lying to police about his identity.
The man and daughter were found Aug. 2 at a home in Baltimore. The girl has since returned to England, where she lives with her mother.
Gerhartsreiter has hinted he was a member of the wealthy Rockefeller family, but descendants of the oil tycoon said he is not a relative.
Gerhartsreiter's attorney, Stephen Hrones, conceded Monday that his client had lied about his roots. But he said there was no basis for the kidnapping charges because he contends his marriage to Reigh's mother was never valid, so no custody agreement could be, either.
Hrones said he would appeal the bail amount at a hearing Thursday.
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