PORT ANGELES — An Aberdeen couple has been charged with multiple counts of identify theft and possession of stolen property for allegedly breaking into vehicles at trailheads on the North Olympic Peninsula and using stolen credit cards at Forks businesses.
Michael W. Pickering, 40, and Mercedes R. Lemieux, 26, will be arraigned Friday in Clallam County Superior Court.
Pickering is charged with five counts of second-degree identity theft and three counts of second-degree possession of stolen property for crimes that allegedly occurred April 16 and April 29.
Lemieux is charged with four counts of second-degree identify theft and four counts of second-degree possession of stolen property for her role in the same alleged crime spree.
According to court documents, a woman reported April 16 that someone had broken the rear passenger window of her vehicle while it was parked at the Third Beach trailhead and stole a Visa card and a Mastercard.
Forks police said Pickering and Lemieux used the credit cards to purchase $1,000 in gift cards from Forks Outfitters on the morning of April 16.
“Mercedes completed the transactions while Michael was with her at checkout,” Forks police officer Julie Goode wrote in the affidavit for probable cause.
“Mercedes tried to mimic (the alleged victim’s) signature to complete the purchases.”
Surveillance video from Forks Outfitters showed the pair arriving and leaving the store in a green Mazda 6, Goode said.
On April 29, police received a call from Forks Outfitters saying that Pickering and Lemieux were inside the store trying to purchase another $1,000 in gift cards with stolen credit cards.
They were denied because the cashier asked for identification, Goode said.
Pickering and Lemieux were spotted leaving True Value — Decker City Hardware carrying bags with several items, Goode said.
Goode arrested the pair and found five credit cards that were reported as stolen in car prowls on April 28 and April 29 at Graves Creek trailhead in the Quinault River valley west Jefferson County.
“Mercedes again completed the three purchases at Decker City Hardware while Michael was with her,” Goode wrote in the probable cause affidavit.
“In the video surveillance I saw that they picked out the items together.”
Goode said she had probable cause to believe that Pickering was an accomplice to Lemieux.
“Michael and Mercedes are shown in surveillance video in multiple jurisdictions to include Mason County and national parks committing car prowls and using stolen funds/credit cards to make several purchases at multiple stores throughout Washington state,” Goode said.
An Olympic National Park spokeswoman was not immediately available for comment.
Lemieux posted a $2,500 bail bond Friday.
Pickering is being held on $20,000 bail.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
