Bonner County woman helps crack theft case

SANDPOINT — A tip from a Bonner County woman who spotted a suspicious ad on Craigslist led to the recovery of a camera stolen from a detective’s unmarked vehicle in Washington state last spring.

The undercover operation near Sandpoint Airport last month also resulted in felony drug charges against the accused camera thief, Nick Anthony Peters, according to documents in 1st District Court.

Peters, 26, of Spokane, Wash., is charged in Bonner County with possession of cocaine. He was also charged locally with possession of stolen property, but the charge was stricken from the criminal complaint.

The possession of stolen property charge is being pursued in Spokane County, The Spokesman-Review reported last week.

The Nikon D-200 digital camera was recovered during a sting operation at Sandpoint Airport on Sept. 29, court documents in Idaho say.

A Spokane County detective posed as a buyer for the camera and Bonner County deputies arrested Peters and his girlfriend after the device was determined to be the camera stolen from Det. Brian Miller’s unmarked vehicle.

A search of the vehicle they were in turned up a digital scale with a powder residue that was later determined to be cocaine. Peters claimed possession of the scale in order to keep his girlfriend, Ashley Marie Callori, from being prosecuted, court records indicate.

Callori, 25, is not charged with a crime in Idaho and the Spokane newspaper reported she has not been charged in connection with the camera theft.

Peters posted $10,000 bond in Idaho and a preliminary hearing in the drug possession case is set for Nov. 18.

The Spokane County detective’s vehicle was broken into last May. A Bonner County Sheriff’s report indicated Peters was a former neighbor of Miller’s.

Spokane authorities are crediting the Bonner County woman with helping to crack the case.

“Had she not called, this case never would have happened,” Spokane County Sheriff’s Sgt. John Nowles told the Spokesman.