Rancho Mirage Mail Theft Suspects Answer Felony Charges

RANCHO MIRAGE, CA — A man and a woman suspected of stealing checks from mailboxes in Rancho Mirage over a nearly five-month period pleaded not guilty to felony charges Friday.

John Fisher, 38, and Thea Lorraine Rich, 32, were charged Friday morning with two felony counts of grand theft over $950 and one for a fictitious bill/note, according to court records. Rich was charged with two additional felony counts of grand theft over $950.

They both pleaded not guilty to all charges at the Larson Justice Center in Indio on Friday afternoon.

An investigation into various mail theft incidents between Jan. 20 and June 17 led members of the Rancho Mirage Special Enforcement Team to Fisher and Rich. There were nine victims with an accumulated loss of $17,842, according to Riverside County sheriff's Deputy Robert Kelly.

SET members served a search warrant on the suspects Wednesday morning and allegedly found 46 stolen checks and numerous identity theft-related items in their possession, Kelly said.

Jail records indicated that Fisher was booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio and was being held on $20,000 bail. Rich was booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning and was being held on $17,000 bail.