Two arrested for mail theft in Sanders County
Suspected package thieves were apprehended in the Upper Lynch Creek area of Sanders County with the help of local residents last week.
The first alleged package theft reported to the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office came from a resident that had received an email notification that a package had been delivered. The individual found the package missing with their mailbox open.
Another resident noticed suspicious activity and mail scattered along the road.
Local resident Christina Larsen posted on Facebook a warning to local residents in the Upper Lynch Creek area about a vehicle with out-of-state plates going through mailboxes and scattering packages all over the road. Photos were taken of the car with two occupants.
The Sanders County Sheriff’s Office was called and Deputy Richard Woods was dispatched to the area. Montana Highway Patrol Officer Steve Spurr and Plains Police Chief Brian Josephson were also asked to assist.
Spurr located the suspected vehicle near the intersection of Upper and Lower Lynch Creek area, and observed possible stolen items in the vehicle.
Suspects Kiara Aldan, 29, and Kelly Thomas, 35, both from Spokane, Washington were placed under arrest and transported to the Sanders County Jail by Deputy Woods.
Charges filed in Justice Court included possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor. Felony charges for theft are being filed in District Court with possible federal charges being filed by the United States Postal Service for mail theft.
The bond was set for Kiara Aldan at $10,000, and Kelly Thomas' bond was set at $5,000.
Sanders County Detective April Phillips said, “We couldn’t have apprehended the individuals without the help of residents calling in the tip.”
Phillips also suggested that when calling in tips to provide a description of the vehicle as well as the license plate. In this case the suspected vehicle had the wrong plates attached to the car.
Phillips said, “We have waves of mail theft here and there and if people don’t report it, we don’t know about it.”
She said this has been the biggest alleged mail theft event in quite a while. Phillips said if anyone believes that they have had a package stolen to the Sheriff’s Office.
Plains Post Office personnel suggested several ways to reduce to risk of packages being stolen, including using a PO Box, installing lockable boxes near the residence or regular mailbox, or calling the Post Office to hold packages.
The USPS has a high-tech solution that uses barcode scanners by the resident and mail carrier. They also recommend checking mailboxes often.
