First reported 6/8/2010 4:53 p.m.
A former River Forest resident is renting out his old apartment on the 1500 block of Harlem Avenue. Sounds simple, right?
The problem is, he doesn't own the place. And he's scammed two people into signing fake leases and paying him rent.
Police said they're looking for Ronald Burkhart, 46, a sex offender who they thought had left for Kentucky to live with a woman he was dating.
"It's one of the more creative crimes I've seen recently," said Sgt. Marty Grill, head of the River Forest Police's detective division. "Apparently, he talked the talk and walked the walk."
Grill said they're relatively sure it's Burkhart because he's attempting to rent the same unit he lived used to live in, he's used his own name in at least one of the cases, and the victims identified him from a picture.
Burkhart found at least one victim through a Craigslist ad, Grill said. Burkhart also somehow posted a basic "For rent" sign in the apartment's window - even though he no longer has legal access.
Grill said he's still looking for more possible cases.
"I'm combing Craigslist as we speak," he said.
Contact: bmeyerson@wjinc.com
