Stanley Man Indicted in West Virginia Fraud Case
KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. — A Page County man accused of offenses in multiple states was indicted this week on charges of forgery and uttering.
According to an April, 2026 criminal complaint, officers with the Charleston Police Department met with a victim who reported that an $850 check belonging to her had been fraudulently cashed at a credit union.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage and documentation provided by credit union employees and identified Jerry Wayne Buracker, of Stanley, as the person who allegedly cashed the stolen check.
These charges are separate from allegations involving West Virginia University, where Buracker is accused of posing as a building inspector to gain access to campus buildings and steal personal checks.
According to a report by WCHS-TV, Buracker, 66, entered a building in WVU’s downtown campus on April 7 while wearing a high-visibility construction vest and carrying a clipboard. When questioned, he allegedly claimed to be a building inspector.
Before leaving, Buracker allegedly asked a woman to sign paperwork verifying that he had conducted molding and tile inspections. The woman complied.
The following day, the woman received a fraud alert from her bank and discovered that three checks from two separate bank accounts had been taken from her backpack.
The West Virginia University Police Department later issued a public alert and a BOLO, or “Be On the Lookout,” for Buracker, referring to him as a “serial scammer.”
“Our investigation shows this person actively looks for ways to scam others and, because of that, we’re reminding everyone to be vigilant to protect themselves and their valuables,” WVU Police Chief Sherry St. Clair told local television station WDTV. “All University employees and those legitimately working for other companies on campus property will willingly show identification if asked, so please verify that the people you’re dealing with are who they claim they are.”
Authorities said the name and driver’s license information written on the stolen checks led investigators to Buracker. Witness statements, surveillance footage and comparisons to his driver’s license photograph were used to confirm his identity.
According to an update on the WVU website, Buracker was arrested on April 11.
University officials told WBOY-TV that Buracker was wanted on at least 11 outstanding warrants in other states for alleged theft and fraud offenses at the time of his arrest.
Additional details about those warrants were not immediately available.
DCNewsNow reported that Buracker is currently in the North Central Regional Jail on a $10,000 bond for Kanawha County and a combined $7,000 bond for charges out of Monongalia County.
According to WCHS-TV, Buracker is scheduled to appear in Kanawha County Circuit Court for an arraignment hearing on July 8.