Murrieta PD Cracks Open Federal Fraud Case, Canyon Lake Man Indicted

CANYON LAKE, CA — A 50-year-old Canyon Lake man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on eight fraud counts stemming from his alleged bogus check writing and identity theft.

The suspect, whose name was not released, was taken into federal custody around 9:30 a.m. April 30 in the 31500 block of Railroad Canyon Road in Canyon Lake, according to Murrieta Police Department Lt. Brendan Carney. The multi-agency arrest was led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Inland Empire Financial Crimes Task Force, which includes a Murrieta Police Department detective.

The Murrieta Police Department cracked open the case in March 2023 when check fraud was reported at the city's Costco on Warm Springs Parkway. A suspect made large purchases using fraudulent checks and other people’s membership identifiers, according to Murrieta police.

Using facial recognition technology, Murrieta investigators scanned video surveillance and were able to identify the suspect. They then tied him to numerous other check fraud incidents at multiple Southern California Costco locations. He also had a criminal history, with prior federal charges related to fraud and identity theft, Murrieta PD said.

The Inland Empire Financial Crimes Task Force took over the investigation "which revealed years of fraud and identity theft, including the fraudulent purchase of four vehicles between 2021 and 2023 with a total loss of over $160,000," according to Murrieta PD.

Investigators worked to contact the identity theft victims, who all reported either having their mail stolen or their vehicles burglarized, Murrieta police said.

"During a search warrant service at the suspect's home, task force officers seized various electronics, access devices, check stock, fraudulent identifications and other evidence," according to the department.

The suspect was indicted on four counts of wire fraud, and one count each of aggravated identity theft, access device fraud, possession of more than 15 access devices, and providing false information to a federally insured institution.

Updates on court dates were not immediately available.