ST. GEORGE — A suspect was arrested on a warrant issued in a mail theft case involving a package that was reportedly stolen from the front porch of a residence in the middle of the day. The charges were enhanced once the suspect was tied to a second case in which officers recovered a makeshift mailbox key.
The arrest stems from an incident reported on Jan. 10, when officers responded to residence in St. George on a report of a mail theft, according to charging documents filed in court.
Officers arrived to learn that a package had been taken from the front porch of the residence and the incident was captured on camera. The footage showed an individual driving a blue Chevrolet Silverado. Police found the vehicle was registered to the suspect, 32-year-old Michael David Chaisson, of St. George.
When officers went to the suspect’s residence, a woman reportedly told police it was she who took the package under the direction of the suspect. She was then arrested by police and later charged with one misdemeanor count of mail theft.
With a warrant in hand, officers searched the suspect’s residence and recovered a number of the items that matched the items that were reported stolen in the package, along with drugs and paraphernalia, police allege.
Chaisson was later located in Mesquite, Nevada. During a search of Chaisson’s vehicle, Mesquite police officers recovered the shipping package reportedly stolen from the home in St. George.
Officers also recovered additional pieces of mail that did not belong to the suspect. Chaisson was arrested by officers in Mesquite and detectives in St. George were notified.
The following day, detectives determined that Chaisson was a suspect in an unrelated mail theft report in St. George in November, as well as a third case involving the theft of medication.
During a background check, investigators also discovered that Chaisson had a history of similar crimes, such as fabricating mail box keys to gain access to mailboxes, according to the affidavit.
The mail key was recovered in connection with a possible stalking call that officers responded to on Nov. 25. During a search of the suspect prior to arrest, officers found what appeared to be a makeshift key that Chaisson said he made to open his safe.
Further investigation into the characteristics of the key suggested it was crafted to open mailboxes, officers noted.
Officers also recovered burglary tools during the incident. Two days later, the suspect was charged with misdemeanor stalking and possession of burglary tools. He was released from jail later that same day. The case is still active and Chaisson is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 1.
Following the arrest on Wednesday, Chaisson was formally charged with two third-degree felony counts of mail theft, along with misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia.
The officer also requested that Chaisson be held without bail, citing the suspect’s “blatant disregard” for community property. Instead, the suspect was held on $2,500 bail and he was released on Thursday morning after posting a bond.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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