Former Arizona AG Official Pleads Guilty to Jewel Theft Charges

Vanessa Hickman, whose legal name is Vanessa Dailey, pleaded guilty on Feb. 25 in Maricopa County Superior Court to one count of theft and one count of facilitation to commit trafficking in stolen property, admitting she stole and sold a diamond bracelet from a misdelivered package containing more than $40,000 in jewelry. Hickman had served as a division chief at the Arizona Attorney General's Office before the investigation prompted her resignation.

The case began when the U.S. Postal Service delivered a package to Hickman's condominium on May 31, 2025, intended for one of her neighbors. Inside was a collection of jewelry valued at more than $40,000. A USPS carrier made multiple attempts to retrieve the package, and when it was finally returned to postal inspectors, a $2,400 Costco diamond bracelet was missing.

Court documents show Hickman did not simply keep the bracelet. She listed it on her personal Poshmark account for $1,947, negotiated the price down with a buyer, and completed the sale for $750 on June 23, 2025, while she still had the package in her possession. She returned the package to postal inspectors only after the sale had gone through.

The U.S. Postal Inspector contacted the Arizona Attorney General's Office about the investigation, and Hickman was placed on administrative leave. She later resigned. On Nov. 19, 2025, she was arrested after officials executed a search warrant at her Valley residence.

Under the plea, each count carries a presumptive one-year jail sentence, placing her total exposure at up to two years. A judge could also impose a suspended sentence at her April 1 sentencing hearing, meaning Hickman would avoid jail time if she completes all probation terms. The felony will remain on her record during probation, though there may be an opportunity to have it reclassified as a misdemeanor afterward. She is required to pay full restitution to the victims, including at least $750.

The criminal case is not Hickman's only legal entanglement. The city of Peoria filed a civil lawsuit against her in 2024 alleging she improperly received $139,000 in severance pay when she departed her role as city attorney there. The suit claims she requested her resignation be classified as a "separation in lieu of termination," a designation that increased her payout. Peoria is seeking $106,585 back from her.

Hickman was initially charged with one count of felony theft; prosecutors later added the trafficking in stolen property count. Investigators also believe she may have sold additional items from the package online, though the full inventory of missing pieces has not been detailed in court filings made public so far.