Marion County Sheriff Gregg Alexander has released more details about the recent mail thefts in the county that has led the filing of over 100 charges against a Mountain Home woman. Thirty-nine-year-old Kathleen Michelle Smith was arrested last month in Mountain Home for breaking into vehicles at an apartment complex and stealing one of them. She also had stolen some mail during the spree.
Alexander says a joint investigation by his department, the Mountain Home Police Department and the Gassville Police Department has led to the charges against Smith for the mail thefts in Marion County.
Alexander says deputies began responding in late April to several complaints of mail stolen from county residences located primarily in the southern portion of the county.
On May 7th, officers from Gassville and Mountain Home contacted Marion County investigators and advised a possible suspect had been developed during an unrelated theft investigation in their jurisdiction. Investigators coordinated their efforts with the other agencies and were able to interview SMITH, recover several parcels of mail, and arrest her for the thefts.
In Marion County, Smith is charged with 17 felony counts of breaking or entering and 98 counts of theft of property, which are misdemeanors.
In her incident in Mountain Home last month, Smith left the apartment complex as officers arrived and was found hiding under a truck at a nearby hotel after she had fled in a car she had stolen. She also was in possession of two blank checks made out to someone else.
For that incident, Smith is facing felony charges of theft of property of more than $25,000, theft of property and breaking or entering. She also faces a penalty enhancement of being a habitual offender, meaning she has four or more felony convictions. She is being held on bonds totaling $50,000.
She has been arrested in Baxter, Washington and Sevier counties eight times dating back to 2004. Her arrests include crimes of theft by receiving, theft of property, breaking or entering, forgery, fleeing, fraudulent use of a credit or debit card, criminal mischief, criminal trespass and possession of a controlled substance.
Smith is being held in the Baxter County Detention Center on a $50,000 bond.
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