Local police bust mail theft ring
Kootenai County Sheriff's Department news release:
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, working closely with the Post Falls Police Dept., Coeur d’Alene City Police, the US Postal Inspector’s Office, Bonner County Sheriff’s Office and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, has broken up a mail theft ring involving nearly 400 victims in Kootenai County and approximately 70 separate cases.
Starting in November of 2016, Kootenai County experienced a rash of mail thefts throughout the county with most of them occurring in the Athol and Hauser Lake areas. The mail being stolen contained checks, packages, titles, etc. The stolen checks were then being fraudulently cashed at various locations in Kootenai County. The estimated value of the stolen packages and checks totals $50,000.
Detectives were quickly able to locate a suspect in the check cashing, however, it was also discovered the crime spree involved a large number of other suspects. Thanks to many hours of hard work by Sheriff’s Office Investigators, five people have now been charged with committing these crimes. As the case continues to develop, other parties involved will likely face charges in the near future.
The primary suspect in this case is identified as 34 year old David T. Perry of Post Falls (pictured). Perry has been charged with 65 counts of Felony Grand Theft, and theft of a firearm. Perry is currently at large with a warrant for his arrest. Full report here.
