Suspected Valley mail thief arrested on multiple charges

SURPRISE, Ariz. – A Phoenix woman suspected of stealing mail from across the valley was arrested by Surprise police Wednesday after police served a search warrant on a home in Wittman.

Surprise police said they have been investigating 51-year-old Michelle Lidster for several fraud offenses for months.

The agency has been investigating Lidster since January, when investigators discovered she was cashing counterfeit checks at area businesses, the agency said in a statement.

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Officials said Lidster was caught on video stealing mail from a residential neighborhood in Surprise in April.

“Using videos provided by the community, investigators were able to positively identify the suspect and found that she may be committing similar crimes in other parts of the valley,” the statement said. “Surprise Police began working with other local law enforcement agencies to collect and share information about Lidster’s various scams, which ultimately led to Lidster’s arrest.”

Lidster was booked into the Maricopa County Receiving and Release Jail on nine felonies and one misdemeanor:

• Prohibited Possession (Class 4 Felony)
• Aggravated Identity Theft (Class 3 Felony)
• Illegal control of a business (Class 2 felony)
• Trafficking in Stolen Goods (Class 2 Felony)
• Fraudulent use of a credit card (Class 6 felony)
• Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices (Class 2 Felonies)
• Theft – Credit Card (Class 5 Felony)
• Possession of a counterfeiting device (Class 5 felony)
• Possession of a forged instrument (Class 3 felony)
• Theft – Control of Property (Class 1 Misdemeanor)

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