A Juneau woman was indicted Thursday on charges of theft and fraud, according to police.
A Juneau grand jury indicted 39-year-old Rebecca Jo Burke on 20 criminal charges related to multiple fraud and theft cases, including one count of issuing a bad check, one count of first-degree theft, four counts of issuing a bad check, nine counts of second-degree theft, three counts of second-degree forgery, one count of access device/ID fraud and one count of third-degree theft.
On Oct. 5 the Juneau Police Department began investigating a complaint, regarding a fraudulent housing rental advertisement in Juneau. The complainant told police that she found a residence for rent online, which was located in the 3400 block of Glacier Highway. She spoke with the person renting the property and looked at photos of the residence, but never physically went to the residence prior to signing the lease agreement. The complainant met with Burke, who was advertising the property for rent. The complainant signed the lease agreement for the property and gave Burke a $850 security deposit. The complainant later learned that the photos and address of the property provided by Burke were fraudulent. The address listed on the lease agreement did not match the photos for the actual property, which Burke had no authorization to rent.
On Nov. 10 at approximately 5:30 p.m. Burke was located by police and placed under arrest for second-degree forgery and second-degree theft. Burke was taken to the Lemon Creek Correctional Center.
In addition to the above incident, Burke is the suspect of several ongoing bad check and forgery investigations. Community members should use caution if they have had recent interactions with Burke and have accepted any forms of payment from her. If you feel you have been a victim of a crime, you’re asked to contact the Juneau Police Department on their business line at (907) 586-0600 or file an Online Police Report at JPD – File a Report – City and Borough of Juneau.
• Contact reporter Jonson Kuhn at jonson.kuhn@juneauempire.com.
