A man was charged with stealing mail from more than a dozen Oak Harbor homes before Christmas following an investigation that extended over months, according to court documents.

Prosecutors charged 28-year-old Dalton J. Dunn in Island County Superior Court May 20 with mail theft.

Mail theft is a felony charge in which a defendant is accused of stealing ten or more pieces of mail from three or more different addresses.

Police reports on the case describe the theft of mail in the northwest area of the city, including Cherry Hill Loop, Almond Loop and Redwing Drive, two days before Christmas.

One woman was in the hospital having a baby when her Christmas cards were stolen, a police report states.

A woman from Ohio reported that she sent her great-grandchildren on Whidbey checks for Christmas which they never received, but the checks were cashed by an unknown person.

A resident’s surveillance equipment showed a dark gray sedan with loud exhaust stopping at mailboxes.

On Dec. 24, an officer saw Dunn driving a car that matched the description of the suspected vehicle and followed it to a parking lot; Dunn and his girlfriend were living in the car parked in front of his mother’s apartment, the report states.

Officers saw multiple pieces of mail inside the vehicle. They looked in a nearby dumpster and found about 50 pieces of mail, including many from the people who reported their mail had been stolen. The officers impounded the car and obtained a search warrant.

Investigators found 57 pieces of mail from 18 different addresses inside the car. They contacted the residents of each address to see if they would like the police to pursue charges.

One of the police reports states that Dunn has a history of mail theft and an outstanding felony warrant for possession of stolen mail.