Fraud cases have a way of sounding boring.

Until deputies start pulling out passports.

And stolen credit cards.

And hundreds of items investigators say were tied to forged documents.

That is what San Diego County sheriff’s officials say happened Thursday morning after San Marcos deputies served search warrants in two cities: San Marcos and Temecula.

Two homes.

Two arrests.

And, according to the Sheriff’s Office, a paper trail stretching through San Diego, Riverside and Orange counties, plus Arizona.

So no, this was not just somebody’s suspicious charge at a gas station.

The 7 A.M. Knock

The warrants were served around 7 a.m. Thursday, September 3.

One was at a home in San Marcos.

The other was at a home in Temecula.

The Sheriff’s Office says the operation was part of a larger investigation into fraud, forgery and burglary.

Investigators reported recovering stolen credit cards, passports and fraudulently obtained property linked to numerous victims.

They also said they found hundreds of items associated with the production of forged documents.

That phrase is doing a lot of work.

It suggests this was not just about using one stolen card.

It was about the tools, documents and information that can turn one person’s identity into someone else’s shopping trip, hotel stay, loan attempt or mailbox problem.

Who Deputies Arrested

Sheriff’s officials identified the two people arrested as Katie Rhew and Michael Sundstrom.

Rhew was arrested after the Temecula warrant.

Sundstrom was arrested after the San Marcos warrant.

Both were booked into the Vista Detention Facility.

Rhew was booked on allegations including identity theft, possession of personal identifying information of more than 10 victims, forgery, burglary, possession of methamphetamine, committing a felony while on bail and criminal conspiracy, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Sundstrom was booked on allegations including identity theft, mail theft, possession of stolen property and criminal conspiracy.

Important line here:

Booked is not convicted.

These are allegations unless and until a court says otherwise.

Why San Marcos Is the Local Thread

This is a San Marcos story for a simple reason.

San Marcos deputies were the ones serving the warrants.

One of those warrants was served in San Marcos.

And the Sheriff’s Office framed the operation as part of an effort to protect San Marcos residents from financial and property-related crimes.

There is also a previous San Marcos thread in the public record.

In August 2024, the Sheriff’s Office said San Marcos detectives served a search warrant at a Temecula home in a residential burglary investigation. In that earlier case, the department said Rhew was arrested and investigators recovered items stolen from a San Marcos burglary, including designer bags valued at more than $5,000.

That earlier case does not prove the new one.

But it does show why San Marcos detectives had reason to keep pulling the thread.

The Boring Stuff Is Usually the Doorway

Identity theft often starts with things people treat casually.

Mail.

Old statements.

A passport left where it should not be.

A credit card that goes missing and gets explained away as “probably somewhere in the car.”

The Sheriff’s Fraud Unit tells residents not to give out personal identifying information unless they initiated the contact and know who they are dealing with.

The department also urges people to shred documents with personal information, remove mail promptly after delivery and avoid carrying Social Security cards or passwords.

That advice will never win a headline-writing contest.

It might save you months of misery.

If you believe you are a fraud victim, the Sheriff’s Office says to call non-emergency dispatch at 858-868-3200. Internet-related fraud can also be reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Questions You May Have About the San Marcos Fraud Arrests

Where were the search warrants served?

The Sheriff’s Office says deputies served warrants at homes in San Marcos and Temecula.

Who was arrested?

Sheriff’s officials identified the two arrested people as Katie Rhew and Michael Sundstrom.

What did investigators say they recovered?

The Sheriff’s Office reported recovering hundreds of items tied to forged documents, stolen credit cards, passports and fraudulently obtained property linked to victims in multiple counties and Arizona.

Were the suspects convicted?

No conviction was reported in the Sheriff’s release. They were booked on listed allegations, and the case should be treated as pending unless court records later show otherwise.