Suspected Valley mail thief arrested on multiple charges

SURPRISE, Ariz. — A Phoenix woman who allegedly stole mail across the Valley was arrested by Surprise police Wednesday after the department executed a search warrant at a Wittman home.

The Surprise Police Department said it has been investigating Michelle Lidster, 51, for several fraud-related crimes for months.

The department has been investigating Lidster since January, when detectives learned she was using fraudulent checks at area businesses, according to a statement from the department.

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Lidster was seen on video stealing mail from a residential area in Surprise in April, officials said.

“Through video provided by the community, detectives were able to positively identify the suspect and learned that she may be committing similar crimes in other parts of the Valley,” the release states. “Surprise Police began collaborating with other local law enforcement agencies to gather and share information about Lidster’s various fraudulent schemes, which ultimately led to Lidster’s arrest.”

Lidster was booked into the Maricopa County Admit-and-Release Jail on nine counts and one misdemeanor:

• Prohibited possession (class 4 misdemeanor)
• Aggravated identity theft (class 3 misdemeanor)
• Unlawful control of a business (class 2 misdemeanor)
• Trafficking in stolen goods (class 2 misdemeanor)
• Fraudulent use of a credit card (class 6 misdemeanor)
• Fraudulent schemes and artifices (class 2 misdemeanor)
• Theft – credit card (class 5 misdemeanor)
• Possession of a counterfeit device (class 5 misdemeanor)
• Possession of a Counterfeit Instrument (Class 3 Misdemeanor)
• Theft – control of property (class 1 misdemeanor)

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