Check stealing suspects caught

COEUR d'ALENE - A 28-year-old Coeur d'Alene man wanted for his alleged involvement in stealing checks out of mailboxes, forging and then cashing them, has been caught.

Coeur d'Alene police announced Monday that Michael G. Wilkins was taken into custody Friday night at the Lake Drive Motel, at 316 E. Coeur d'Alene Lake Drive, where he was staying with a 17-year-old runaway from Oregon, Coeur d'Alene police reported.

Their room was searched, and detectives found property the two allegedly purchased with stolen credit cards and checks.

Detectives also allegedly located a new printer and a package of blank checks, also allegedly purchased with stolen credit cards, police said.

Both Wilkins and the runaway, Lacey L. Fugate, were wanted in Douglas County, Ore.

Police said they plan to seek charges of grand theft and burglary in Kootenai County against the two.

Last week, police said Wilkins and Fugate were suspected of stealing two checks from the mailbox of an area business located on the 100 block of East Locust Avenue.

Police said they believe Wilkins was responsible for allegedly adding his name to the checks and cashing them at a local Safeway store.

An employee of the Safeway store indicated that Wilkins comes in to the store several times a day to cash checks.