Former Wisconsin corrections officer who scanned obituaries for empty homes to rob is busted again mid-trial after forcing her way into property and stealing hydrocodone pills.
(Flickr/K-State Research and Extension: CC BY 2.0)
With average recidivism rates in the US running close to 50% according to one detailed long-term federal study, it’s sadly never surprising when one brush with the law leads to another.
But in some instances of repeat offending, the perpetrator acts so recklessly for such little apparent gain that the motive seems more a disturbing compulsion than a genuine desire to profit from criminality.
Such appears the case of Janelle Gericke, a one-time corrections officer from Jefferson, Wisconsin, who makes headlines once again this week for all the wrong reasons.
The 29-year-old had been charged with a single count of burglary and allegedly linked with a string of break-ins at homes left empty by funeral attendees, as Crazy America reported late last December.
Yet not content with being out on a $10,000 signature bond and moving towards a plea deal in the original case, the ex-deputy found herself back in court Wednesday on a brand new burglary charge and bond violation, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the Daily Jefferson County Union.
The latest charge relates to an incident on Feb. 24, when Gericke was allegedly caught on camera in a Jefferson home at around 8.30 in the morning.
The absent homeowner, who knows Gericke personally, called police after receiving a phone alert from his home security system. He recognized her on the security video footage, as did Jefferson Police Lieutenant Alan Richter, who has had past dealings with Gericke in a professional capacity.
Gericke claimed when questioned later that day that she had been at home in the morning with her young child. However, officers noted that she was wearing similar clothes to the woman shown in the security footage.
Bizarrely, the only items confirmed missing after the break-in were some prescription hydrocodone pills that had been in a bathroom drawer.
In all fairness, though, Gericke could probably use the pilfered painkillers given the headache of the fresh twist her trial has taken.
A cash bond of $2,000 was set for the new charge when she appeared in court Wednesday via video link from Jefferson County Jail. She will now be placed under home confinement with GPS monitoring while the trial continues, with permission to leave her house only for emergencies and to attend scheduled counseling sessions.
Commenting on the latest charge, Assistant Attorney General Adrienne Blais said: “Quite frankly, I can imagine the fear and the anger that the community must feel right now seeing this and knowing the course of conduct which led to the first case appears to still be ongoing.”
Gericke’s plea and sentencing hearing had been set for April 16. A new date is yet to be scheduled.
| Jefferson, Wisconsin | |
|---|---|
| Location: | 45 miles west of Milwaukee, at the confluence of the Rock and Crawfish rivers |
| Population: | 8,034 |
| Median Household Income: | $51,071 |
| Quirky Fact: | During World War Two, Jefferson was home to Camp Jefferson, a prison camp for German POWs. |
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