City of Peoria
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A top official with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office was arrested by U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents on Wednesday evening and faces two felony accusations, of controlling and trafficking stolen property.
Vanessa Hickman served as the state government division chief under Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes. She was placed on administrative leave by Mayes’ office last Thursday after the office was contacted by the U.S. Postal Inspector’s office about an investigation into Hickman, according to Mayes spokesperson Richie Taylor. Mayes’ office “cooperated” with the investigation, Taylor said, and Hickman resigned from her position on Monday, though she is still listed on the agency’s website.
“Attorney General Mayes believes that every individual is entitled to due process, but also that justice must be served,” Taylor wrote in an email to Phoenix New Times. “The allegations against Ms. Hickman are serious for any state employee, particularly someone in a leadership position.”
It’s not yet clear what those allegations are. The AG’s office declined to comment further, and USPIS declined to comment on the active investigation. The investigation has been submitted to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for a charging decision, USPIS spokesperson Liz Davis wrote, but the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office stated that they had not yet received the submittal on the case.
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New Times has requested the probable cause statement for Hickman’s arrest, which would provide more detail as to its circumstances, but has not received it. Hickman did not immediately respond to New Times’ request to comment.
Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office
Hickman was arrested a little after 7 p.m. Wednesday and booked into Maricopa County Intake, Transfer and Release by 3 a.m. Thursday. She’s since been released, according to Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office’s booking information.
This isn’t the first time Hickman has made news. Prior to joining the Attorney General’s Office in January 2023, Hickman worked as the Peoria City Attorney. Her departure was controversial.
After she resigned, the city wanted her to pay back her severance payment of $138,795, which included half of her salary for the year plus holiday and sick pay. In a lawsuit against her, the city alleged that she wasn’t entitled to the severance she received under her employment agreement because she resigned her position rather than being fired by the city council. That lawsuit is ongoing.
Hickman filed a countersuit claiming that the former Peoria Assistant City Manager Rick Buss and other city officials defamed her to her new boss, Mayes, by claiming she wasn’t entitled to her severance pay. Her countersuit was dismissed on Jan. 7 of this year.
It’s unclear whether the current charges against her relate in any way to her beef with Peoria.
Maricopa County Superior Court records also show that Hickman was charged in 2003, under her maiden name, with a DUI offense stemming from a 1999 incident. She pleaded guilty to a lesser offense and completed probation in 2005, according to the online case docket.
