Trooper Joel Anderson was just 11 days out of the police academy when he made an arrest that has made him famous among his peers in his three-county Washington State Patrol district.

On Jan. 16, when the 23-year-old walked up to what appeared to be a distressed driver, he encountered a man who authorities believe is responsible for stealing more than $700,000 worth of checks from mailboxes across Snohomish County.

Troopers who arrested the 39-year-old Everett man found three large trash bags filled with stolen mail, including one uncashed check for $375,000.

"I'm just so proud of trooper Anderson and his diligence," said State Patrol Capt. Bob Lenz. "... He stopped a crime in progress and took the appropriate action. He's pretty famous."

Anderson brushes off the compliments and said his decision to investigate the suspicious driver wasn't a big deal. He said that when he spotted the Ford Explorer on Lowell-Larimer Road in Snohomish, the driver appeared to be asleep.

When Anderson walked up next to the sport-utility vehicle, the man sat up and reportedly said he was waiting for a friend. The man didn't have a driver's license and had a knife and prescription pills in the car with him. Eventually, the man got out of the vehicle, ran from Anderson, tumbled into sticker bushes and was eventually arrested, Anderson said.

While Anderson transported the man to jail, assisting troopers found the bags containing mail from residents in Lynnwood, Mill Creek, Snohomish, Stanwood, Bothell, Mountlake Terrace, Everett and Marysville.

Troopers later realized the Explorer had been stolen, Anderson said.

U.S. postal inspector Jeff Scobba said agents confiscated the mail and are notifying the several hundred victims.

Scobba said mail theft is growing more and more common in rural areas of Snohomish County. He said it's likely that methamphetamine users are driving around at night stealing mail. He stresses that people should never leave their mailbox full overnight and that they should only use blue post-office boxes for sending out mail.

"Unfortunately, they've [criminals] made it to the point where it's difficult to live your life like we used to," said Scobba. "One person can cause a lot of damage when it comes to the U.S. mail."

Scobba said it's up to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle to decide whether to prosecute the Everett man. The man was in the Snohomish County Jail for five counts of possession of stolen property and one count of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.

Anyone who thinks their mail has been stolen may call the U.S. Postal Service at 206-442-6141.

Jennifer Sullivan: 425-783-0604 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com