Woman and man arrested for stealing checks from local mail boxes; forgery and drug charges also

Union County Sheriff’s officers arrested two Dumas residents yesterday on multiple charges related to the theft of checks worth thousands of dollars.

Victoria Goodson, age 31, and Michael Anthony Lamacchia, age 35, were booked into the Union County jail last night on charges including false pretense and possession of methamphetamine.

Goodson was previously a resident of North Carolina. She and Lamacchia are believed to have lived in Dumas for about two months. It was at that residence near the Tippah County line that they were arrested last night. Lamacchia may have been born in California.

Sheriff Jimmy Edwards said Goodson and Lamacchia are believed to have been stealing checks from mailboxes in Union County, including within the city of New Albany, and likely from mailboxes in adjacent counties. Edwards said the two had used a cell phone “app” to photograph some of the checks and deposit them into accounts at banks outside the area including Wells Fargo, a California bank.

Some of the checks had been cashed at Walmart stores and used to purchase items including a computer at Walmart. It was believed Walmart would have to “stand good” for the value of the forged checks which it cashed.

Michael Anthony LaMacchia, 35

Victoria Goodson, 31

Edwards said some of the stolen checks had been forged using a process called “washing,” in which the name of the payee and other elements of the the check are modified to accomplish the forgery. While being booked into the Union County jail, Goodson told a deputy she had learned how to use the “washing” technique  while working at a bank in North Carolina.

Union County authorities first learned of the theft and forgery activity when they received a complaint yesterday from a Keownville resident, who had noticed a discrepancy in her checking account when reconciling her bank statement.

Sheriff Edwards said “at least a dozen” Union County residents have been victims of the check theft and forgery caper by Goodson and Lamacchia. The sheriff said he believes there have likely been other victims not yet known to law enforcement, including people who do not as yet know they have been defrauded.

When executing a warrant and making the arrests last night in Dumas, deputies also confiscated a quantity of methamphetamine, a controlled substance. Charges against Goodson include a drug charge.

Inspector/investigators from the U.S. Postal Service have been notified of the thefts from mailboxes. The Sheriff said postal inspectors are expected in Union County later today.

Goodson and Lamaccchia will probably be arraigned in Union County Justice Court tomorrow.