Two charged in theft of soldier’s life savings

GREENVILLE – Two Piscataquis County men have been charged with forgery for allegedly stealing more than $14,000 from a soldier’s checking account.

Duane Hyde, 37, of Dover-Foxcroft and Robert Brammer, 29, of Guilford each were summoned to appear in 13th District Court in Dover-Foxcroft on June 23 for one count of forgery, according to Greenville Police Chief Scott MacMaster. While the summons were written for one count each, both men face multiple counts, MacMaster said Tuesday.

Another person also is expected to be charged in the case, the chief said.

The money belonged to Shawn Burke, 22, who discovered the theft after he had returned to the States from a 15-month deployment with the Army in Iraq.

Burke told police he had written a check for online college courses and when the check failed to clear in mid-April he called the Greenville branch of his credit union. He then learned his account had been nearly drained since his arrival back in the U.S.

The checks cashed reportedly were taken from a box of checks the bank had mailed, at Burke’s request, to his brother’s home in Sangerville. The checks were written in amounts from $630 to $6,500, and the first were cashed in February, several days after Burke had returned to the United States, according to the police chief.

MacMaster said the checks were stolen by acquaintances of Burke’s brother and cashed at bank branches in Dover-Foxcroft, Guilford, Dexter and Greenville. Identification or licenses were provided by the individuals where the checks were cashed, he said.

Because Burke failed to check his bank statement and did not notify the credit union within 20 days upon its receipt to report the missing funds, he bears some fault, bank officials said. The official said the credit union would refund only $3,995 to Burke.

Burke told police that after his arrival in January after 15 months abroad, he visited with relatives and in mid-February he had to report for duty in Texas. He said he hadn’t checked his account until he learned his check for the courses failed to clear.

dianabdn@verizon.net

876-4579