A former division chief in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office has gone from overseeing prosecutions to standing in front of a judge herself, after pleading guilty to stealing a diamond bracelet from a misdelivered package and selling it online.
Sentencing took place in Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix on April 1, 2026, following an investigation by U.S. Postal Service inspectors and local prosecutors. Court filings state the package was in her possession when the jewelry was listed and sold.
Prosecutors’ account
According to The Arizona Republic, court records say a U.S. Postal Service carrier mistakenly delivered a package containing roughly $40,000 in jewelry to the Phoenix condominium of former division chief Vanessa Hickman (who has also used the name Vanessa Dailey) on May 31, 2025.
Prosecutors allege that when the package was eventually recovered, a $2,400 diamond bracelet was missing. Filings in Maricopa County Superior Court state Hickman listed an identical bracelet on Poshmark and negotiated the sale price down to $750 while the misdelivered package was still under her control.
Plea and career fallout
Hickman pleaded guilty on Feb. 25 to one count of theft and one count of facilitation to commit trafficking in stolen property, court records show, according to AZFamily…