A Wisconsin sheriff's deputy is accused of scouring online obituaries to break into the homes of grieving families while they attended funerals.

Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputy Janelle Gericke, 29, was charged with felony burglary after she attempted to gain access to the homes 'without consent', the sheriff's office said.

Gericke is also accused of saying that she was picking up goods from a Facebook transaction if she was confronted on properties.

It's not clear when Gericke allegedly started the burglary spree, or how many homes were targeted. However, she was fired from her job on July 3.

Former Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputy Janelle Gericke, 29, is accused of burglarizing homes of families who were at funerals

She joined the Sheriff's Office in 2016, and was assigned to the jail division, Fox6Now.com reported.

'Jefferson County Sheriff Paul Milbrath and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office apologize to the people that they serve for the embarrassment and mistrust that this individual may have caused,' local police said in a statement.

Gericke is scheduled to make her initial appearance in court on December 30. If convicted, she faces up to 12-and-a-half years in prison and could be ordered to pay $25,000 in fines.