On Monday, Aug. 5, the Lynnwood Police Department arrested two suspects in Monroe, one of them for fraud. Among the items recovered were weapons and drugs.

In collaboration with the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office, Lynnwood police arrested a female suspect—an eight-time convicted felon—and a male suspect at an apartment in the 14600 block of 179th Avenue Southeast in Monroe after a 6:30 a.m. raid.

(The My Neighborhood News Network does not as a rule name suspects until they have been charged with a crime.)

The man identified himself and said that he was staying on the woman’s couch while visiting from Arizona. Due to no probable cause being established for him at the time, Officer Christopher VanDomelen uncuffed the male suspect and released him from custody. 

Uncuffed and released, the man made a request to the officer.

Things don’t add up

The man had left his phone inside the apartment when he walked out and, upon being released, asked the officer to get it for him.

Lynnwood Police Sgt. Zac Olsen and Cmdr. Curtis Zatylny tactically cleared the apartment to ensure no other occupants remained. During their search, they found the phone next to a “large”about 2-feet-by-3-feet mirror in the living room underneath the TV, covered in white powder. 

“The powder was both spread out over the mirror and arranged linearly,” the police report said.

Around the drug-laden mirror were large glass “bongs” with rubber tubing coming from them, which the investigating officers found were consistent with illegal narcotic use. Further, although the man had no local police issues, he had previous interactions with police in Chicago, Kansas City, Missouri and Phoenix.

The man volunteered he had been arrested before and had served a prison term in Chicago when he was 16. However, the officer did not find his FBI number in the database. The man then explained he was under a different name. 

Probable cause was back in play as Sgt. Olesen and Cmdr. Zatylny told Lynnwood Officer VanDomelen about where the phone was located, coupled with his conflicted identification story.

In the search prior to arrest, police found one bag with a “white crystallized powder consistent with methamphetamine,” one bag of a “white powdery substance consistent with fentanyl,” a single blue M30 fentanyl pill and $404.72. 

The male suspect admitted he had illegal narcotics but insisted several times he was a drug user, not a dealer.

The database had no record of the Arizona driver’s license the male suspect had in his wallet, stating that the name and number were invalid.

Both the male and female suspects were taken to Snohomish County Jail for processing and fingerprints to confirm the male’s identity. He did not get his phone back; it was checked in with his money and other personal items for safekeeping. However, he would be allowed a phone call after being booked.

What was found inside

Inside the Monroe apartment, police found a barrage of illegal items and items that were being used with unlawful intent. Although the equipment retrieved is legal and can be found on popular online shopping websites, it was used illegally.

The report states the hallway closet had two sliding doors, “with the far-left side of the closet occupied by a water heater.” The center of the closet contained what appeared to be “hundreds of articles of clothes on hangers.” The far upper right side of the closet had wire shelving holding various tools, boxes, craft supplies and a metal embossing machine.

Along with the embossing machine was a box with several items consistent with identity theft, including mail belonging to various individuals throughout Snohomish County, credit and debit cards, a receipt for Famous Footwear and numerous Victoria’s Secret and Pink gift cards.

The clothing was found to be mainly from Victoria’s Secret and Pink. Half of the clothing still had price and RFID tags, with several being duplicate items. Once sorted by brand, the clothing filled most of Officer VanDomelen’s Chevy Tahoe patrol vehicle’s trunk.

While sweeping the apartment, police found a medium-sized purse with TJ Maxx price tags and labels on it on the floor in front of the hallway closet. Inside was a blank notebook, travel-size hair conditioner and two clear Ziploc-style bags with “large pieces of white, chalk-like substance in them.”

The police department’s handheld Tru-Narc analyzer brought back a positive result for acetaminophen but could not rule out the presence of narcotics. The report explained that acetaminophen is the common mixing component of M30 counterfeit oxycodone (fentanyl), commonly referred to as “blues,” which will also test positive for acetaminophen.

A later lab test confirmed the substance in the purse was acetaminophen.

Several firearms were also found at the scene:

– Remington 870 short barrel shotgun: No record of purchase or ownership locally.

– Aero Precision AR-15: Stolen from a car prowl in Seattle. Returned to owner.

– Browning FN 9mm pistol: Stolen in Monroe.

– Masterpiece Arms MPA Defender 9mm pistol: Stolen from Bellevue. Owner deceased.

The initial report of the arrest mentioned a “Uzi-style firearm with an affixed silencer.” No such weapon was listed in the report issued by the Lynnwood Police Department. 

Uzis have been illegal in Washington since April 2023, when assault weapons were banned. However, under Washington State law, the silencer would have been legal to own.

“The woman is an eight-time convicted felon, so she’s not allowed to have weapons, regardless,” said Lynnwood Police Department Public Affairs and Communication Manager Maren McKay said.

Victoria’s Secret audit

How did the situation evolve to where Lynnwood PD would make arrests in Monroe, seizing drugs and firearms? Women’s lingerie.

McKay said that earlier this year, Victoria’s Secret’s corporate noticed discrepancies during an accounting audit and contacted law enforcement. It was discovered that fake gift cards were being used at their stores.

“Victoria’s Secret in Lynnwood was one of the locations that was impacted by this gift card fraud scheme,” McKay said. “The other locations that were affected in Washington were Auburn, Bellevue and Tacoma.”

However, Lynnwood detectives anticipate additional charges and future arrests of co-conspirators. Victoria’s Secret stores in Colorado, Oregon and Arizona — where Whiteside claimed to be from — have all been victim to fraudulent cards.

Victoria’s Secret could not be reached for comment in time for publication.

The female suspect was arrested for probable cause for identity theft, organized retail theft, financial fraud, possession of a stolen firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm and manufacturing with the intent to sell a controlled substance. She was released on a $200,000 bond.

The male suspect was arrested for probable cause for possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, with no bond set.

As for criminals looking to victimize local businesses, McKay said, “Don’t come to Lynnwood to commit crimes. You will be held accountable for your actions.”

The U.S. Postal Service states that one of the best ways to prevent fraud is to check your mail regularly. To learn more, click here.

To report stolen firearms, contact your local police department. To file a report with the Bureau of Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), click here.

— By Rick Sinnett