A Wasilla man who stole thousands of dollars from people through a Southcentral Alaska phone scam has been sentenced to a four-year prison term and ordered to pay restitution to his victims.
Alaska State Troopers said in a Wednesday dispatch that 48-year-old Kenneth Wayne Jenks was sentenced Friday on a second-degree theft charge in the case. Court records show Jenks making a change of plea after being charged with the theft count as well as scheming to defraud five or more people, both felony offenses.
Word of the scam, which dated back to August 2014 and spanned the Mat-Su, Anchorage and Kenai areas, first reached troopers in April. Several local and state agencies subsequently helped investigate and build the case against Jenks.
"(Jenks) had been contacting local businesses and small business owners, pretending to be associated with a fictitious flight service, 'Alaska Adventures Air Service,'" troopers wrote. "Jenks was able to swindle 38 victims out of approximately $8,000 using several different aliases where he asked to borrow money for various reasons."
Troopers said Jenks, who "has a known history of forgeries and thefts," was arrested on warrants linked to the case in August. His previous criminal record includes forgery convictions after no-contest pleas in 2003 and 2006.