Suspect stole holiday packages, checks from at least 40 in West Michigan, police say

Dozens of homes were targeted during a series of mail thefts in West Michigan, with the reported stolen items including Christmas cards with money and packages believed to be holiday gifts. 

The Michigan State Police says the suspect now faces 11 felony charges and eight misdemeanor charges that include check fraud and malicious destruction of property. 

The complaints about stolen mail from residential mailboxes in Newaygo County came to the attention of state police in mid-December. Troopers said the reported stolen items at the time included new checkbooks, Christmas cards containing cash and checks, and packages believed to be holiday gifts. 

One of the stolen checks was deposited while the victim was out of town, which helped investigators identify a suspect, police said. After getting a description of a possible vehicle, officers were able to track its recent whereabouts via images on residential security cameras. 

As the investigation continued, additional reports were made from across Newaygo County about damaged mailboxes, stolen mail and check fraud incidents. 

When officers located the suspect, troopers recovered about 40 pieces of stolen mail connected to 40 victims. Additional search warrants were served in the investigation.  

The suspect claimed to have been acting alone, troopers said.