Man Accused of Stealing Hundreds of Cemetery Vases is Behind Bars

A man believed to have stolen hundreds of brass vases worth more than $100,000 from several area cemeteries is in DuPage County Jail.

Elmhurst police on Aug. 5 arrested Jeffrey T. Burke, 35, of 8839 S. Main St. in Hometown. He is accused of stealing brass vases from grave markers at two Elmhurst cemeteries, from an unincorporated Will County cemetery and from other unidentified cemeteries.

Burke allegedly took the vases to a scrap yard to exchange them for cash. He was charged with felony theft. He also was charged with driving with a suspended license.

This is not the first time Burke has faced felony theft charges in DuPage County. In 2007, he pleaded guilty in a similar case and was sentenced to five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Burke is being held on $60,000 bond. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Elmhurst Police Det. Ed Coughlin at (630) 530-3077.

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