Suspected P.O. box thief arrested

A stakeout of a Moran Prairie post office led county and federal authorities last week to arrest a 27-year-old man they suspect is behind a rash of mail thefts over the past two months. Bart Bonebright was taken into custody without incident Wednesday after Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies and U.S. Postal Service investigators witnessed him trying to pry open P.O. boxes with a knife at 5428 S. Regal St. around 11 p.m., according to a news release. A search of Bonebright revealed a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine, adding a drug charge to a number of outstanding criminal counts on his record. Bonebright is being held on $30,000 bond for charges including trafficking stolen property, burglary, theft and criminal trespass. Last month, a polite Bonebright was picked up by authorities outside a backyard shed just north of Holy Cross Cemetery on burglary suspicions. The Sheriff’s Office said federal authorities are continuing their investigation into the mail theft.