Suspected con artist caught by cops

Tonight, police believe the mastermind of an elaborate land fraud scheme is safely behind bars. Thirty-seven year old William Burke was spotted by one of his victims this morning just as he was about to board a water taxi at the Marine Terminal on North Front Street. The police were called in and within minutes, two officers arrived on the scene to make the arrest. Police tell News 5 that Burke will be charged with obtaining property by deception, uttering upon a false document and forgery. Burke has been eluding police for more than a month following reports made by several Belize City residents who claimed to have handed over thousands of dollars in cash in exchange for various pieces of land in the old capital. His customers then received several documents, which Burke claimed were official receipts and titles for the lots. But one by one Burke’s clients figured out that they had been duped and the matter was handed over to the authorities. News 5 understands that while Burke is believed to be a resident of Independence Village, at the time of his arrest he had been staying at an address in Belmopan.