Man and woman accused of taking checks from mailboxes, charged with grand theft
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POCATELLO — A Salt Lake City man and a woman listed as a transient have been charged with three counts of grand theft after allegedly taking items from multiple mailboxes in Bannock County.
Michael Darwin Guidi, 44, was arrested Sept. 20 after deputies from the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office allegedly found him in possession of three personal checks. Rachel Lynn Mcentire, 41, was also arrested and charged.
Records show deputies received calls around 4 p.m. that day regarding a man believed to be going through mailboxes in the Mink Creek area, according to an affidavit of probable cause. Callers described the suspect’s vehicle as a Dodge Durango with Missouri plates.
A vehicle matching that description was observed driving south on Interstate 15 a short time later by deputies. The license plate was registered to a 2003 Toyota, the police report reads.
When asked if she had anything illegal in the vehicle, the driver, identified as Mcentire, told deputies she did not. She then recanted and informed the deputies she did have marijuana and marijuana pipes in the vehicle. After informing her that marijuana was illegal in Idaho, deputies requested Mcentire’s permission to search the vehicle for contraband.
Mcentire granted that permission, the affidavit reads.
While one deputy searched the vehicle, which was loaded with items including clothes, a bed frame, a TV and a Kansas driver’s license belonging to a third party, others questioned Mcentire and her passenger, Guidi.
Asked separately if they had been going through mailboxes, both denied it. Then, after being informed that an eye witness was en route to identify them, both allegedly admitted to it.
Mcentire told deputies that Guidi had been going through mailboxes, but that she didn’t believe he had taken anything. Guidi said he had taken things out of mailboxes, but that he put everything back before returning to the car.
The deputy who had been searching for the marijuana and pipes allegedly found all that Mcentire had told deputies they would find.
Additionally, the deputy found envelopes with addresses from the Mink Creek area. Some of those envelopes contained checks, one, which had “September rent” written in the memo line, for $1,485. Other checks, written out for amounts of $25 and $127.62, were also found in the vehicle.
Mcentire and Guidi were both arrested and transported to Bannock County Jail.
Although the couple is accused of crimes, it does not necessarily mean they committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty. If found guilty, both face prison sentences of one to 14 years, as well as fines of $5,000, for each felony grand theft charge.
Both are scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 4.