Murrieta Police Nab Identity Theft Suspect in $70K Fraud Spree
Originally Published By Murrieta Police Department
Press Release
DATE: February 1, 2024
CASE NUMBER: MR24-0456
Identity Theft / Commercial Fraud Series Arrest
Murrieta, CA – In early January 2024, Murrieta Police Detectives began investigating a fraud series that occurred at a local retail store. Detectives learned that on December 5, 2023, December 15, 2023, December 24, 2023, and January 12, 2024, the same female suspect entered the retail store and fraudulently purchased thousands of dollars of merchandise using stolen identities and forged checks.
Detectives obtained surveillance footage of the incidents, conducted a follow-up investigation, and developed information to identify the suspect, Mindy Lee Stovall. Stovall is a 65-year-old female from Santa Ana, CA. Further investigation revealed stovall was suspected of committing similar crimes throughout the state of California and was a suspect in a similar series in Orange County, CA. In all, Stovall is suspected of making fraudulent purchases in excess of $70,000.00. Detectives learned Stovall was staying at a residence in the city of Menifee and obtained a search warrant for the residence.
On Wednesday, January 31, 2024, Murrieta Detectives with the assistance of the Murrieta Special Enforcement Team (S.E.T.), Central Post Release Accountability Team (P.A.C.T.), U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Investigators from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department served a search warrant at a residence located on the 33000 block of Brighton Wood Street in Menifee. Detectives located and detained Stovall at the location during the service of the warrant. Detectives also found thousands of fraudulent documents believed to have been used by Stovall during the series. Additionally, personal information belonging to over six-hundred people was confiscated. Stovall was arrested and charged with 470(d) PC – Forgery, 530.5(a) – Identity Theft, 530.5
(c) (1) – Possession of Identity Theft Material, and 530.5 (c)(3) – Possession of Identity Theft Material of 10 or More People. Stovall was transported to the Cois M. Byrd Detention Center where she was booked for the listed charges.
This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact Corporal Kris Spencer at (951) 461-6404 or Kspencer@murrietaca.gov or Detective Sergeant Miguel Garcia at (951) 461-6362 or Mgarcia@murrietaca.gov.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Lieutenant Brendan Carney
2 Town Square, Murrieta, CA 92562
(951) 461-6358 | barney@murrietaca.gov
