Man Who Posed as Uber Driver to Carry Out Rape Spree in Cleveland Gets 41-Yrs in Prison

According to reports, an Ohio man was sentenced to 41-years in prison for posing as an Uber driver between 2017 and 2020 when he lured unsuspecting women into his car and raped them. 

“There is not one thing that the victims did where they bear responsibility for what happened to them,” Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Joan Synenberg said in delivering her sentence. “I hope they can free themselves of any space you occupy in their heads.” 

Burks faced a maximum sentence of 103 years behind bars after pleading guilty to five counts of rape, four counts of kidnapping, two counts of abduction and one count each of theft and domestic violence. 

One of Burks's victims spoke during the sentencing and asked him directly if he remembered her screams for help as he raped her.

“I hope you are haunted by my limp body lying in the backseat of your car. I hope you never live another day without the soul-crushing weight of me on your mind,” she told him. “I am not weak. I am not defenseless. I am not an object for you to use at your disposal. I will not be haunted by the thought of you.”

Burks apologized to the women, his family, and the court before telling Synenberg he takes full responsibility for his actions. 

Source: cleveland.com