Man Given Prison Time For Squatting In Grand Coulee Snowbird’s Home

A 47-year-old man has been sentenced to over two years in prison after pleading guilty to defrauding an elderly Grand Coulee resident and burglarizing their home.

The Odessa Record reports the 29-month sentence was handed down to Jake Keith Denning by Judge Adam Walser in Lincoln County Superior Court this week.

Denning's sentence stemmed from a plea bargain he accepted from prosecutors, who agreed to drop charges of forgery, firearms theft, and failure to register as a sex offender in exchange for his guilty plea to charges of first-degree burglary and first-degree identity theft.

Get our free mobile app

Prosecutors say Denning and his girlfriend illegally entered the 78-year-old man's house and used it for squatting over the course of several months while he was wintering out of the country.

The pair also stole firearms and other valuables from the man's home and forged six checks on his bank accounts totaling over $2,400.

Denning had initially pled not guilty to all charges in March and was scheduled for trial in July prior to reaching the plea agreement with prosecutors.

Court records indicate Denning has a lengthy criminal history which includes convictions for various drug offenses and sexually-motivated crimes.

At this week's sentencing, Judge Walser openly stated he had considered giving Denning five years in prison and ordering him to pay a $10,000 fine, but opted for the lesser sentence recommended by state guidelines and prosecutors.

In addition to the time behind bars, Denning was also ordered to pay a $500 victim assessment fee.