Long time Kendall County fugitive accused of home repair fraud arrested in Arizona

STORY UPDATED AT 2:22 P.M. TUESDAY, SEPT. 15

YORKVILLE – A man accused of home repair fraud in Kendall, Kane and Will counties was arrested in Glendale, Arizona after being on the run and living under a false identity for nearly 13 years.

The Kendall County Sheriff's Office said in a Tuesday, Sept. 15 news release that Joseph Burns, 49, of Glendale, Arizona is facing multiple felony home repair fraud charges out of Kendall County, as well as additional warrants for theft out of Kane County and another home repair fraud charge out of Will County.

Kendall County Sheriff's Dep. Dan Briars said the charges out of Kendall County came from several incidents that had occurred in the Yorkville and Plano areas dating as far back as 2006.

“It looked like it was all over the place,” Briars said.

According to sheriff's officials, Burns was arrested at about 1:15 p.m. Monday in the 5000 block of North 64th Lane in Glendale, Arizona by members of the United States Marshals District of Arizona.

The Kendall County Sheriff’s Office and United States Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force had conducted a lengthy investigation into the whereabouts of Burns, sheriff's officials said in the Tuesday news release. Burns was found to be living under a false identity and was subsequently located in Arizona.

Burns has been a fugitive since Nov. 26, 2007, sheriff's officials said in the news release.

Burns is being held on a no-bond warrant out of Kendall County, meaning he will eventually be due back in court, and is awaiting extradition back to Illinois, according to the sheriff's office. Burns previously had been featured on the sheriff's office's Fugitive Fridays social media campaign.

The public is reminded that criminal defendants are presumed innocent until the government is able to prove its charges in court beyond a reasonable doubt.

There is no Kendall County court date set yet for Burns, according to sheriff's officials.

Sheriff’s officials want to remind citizens to contact us at detectives@co.kendall.il.us to report any information regarding a fugitive’s whereabouts. Callers who wish to remain anonymous can contact the Kendall County Crime Stoppers at 630-553-5999.

Briars said it's also always good idea to check references, the Better Business Bureau and research for any person or company before hiring them to do home repairs. He said residents also can check for legitimacy through state license databases and can always reach out to the sheriff's office if something seems off.

• This story will be updated as more information becomes available.