Surprise woman arrested on fraud-related charges

Detectives from the Surprise Police Department served a search warrant at a residence in Wittmann on June 5, leading to the arrest of 51-year-old Phoenix resident Michelle Lidster for a series of fraud-related crimes.

In January 2024, the Surprise Police Department discovered Lidster had used several fraudulent checks to purchase items at local businesses.

Then in April 2024, Lidster was captured on surveillance cameras stealing mail from a residential neighborhood.

Using video provided by the community, detectives were able to positively identify the suspect and learned she may be committing similar crimes in other parts of the Valley.

Surprise Police began collaborating with other local law enforcement agencies to gather and share information on Lidster’s various fraud schemes, which ultimately led to Lidster’s arrest.

Lidster was booked into the Maricopa County Intake and Release Jail on the following charges:

• Prohibited possessor (class 4 felony)
• Aggravated ID theft (class 3 felony)
• Illegal control of enterprise (class 2 felony)
• Trafficking stolen property (class 2 felony)
• Fraudulent use of a credit card (class 6 felony)
• Fraudulent schemes and artifices (class 2 felony)
• Theft – credit card (class 5 felony)
• Possession of a forgery device (class 5 felony)
• Possession of a forged instrument (class 3 felony)
• Theft – control property (class 1 misdemeanor)

This investigation remains ongoing with multiple law enforcement agencies, and Lidster may face additional charges as the investigation continues.

The Surprise Police Department would like to thank the community for their patience with this investigation. Fraud based crimes, like this, are time intensive and require methodical and detailed investigations to build a successful case.