Yolo County sheriff’s officials arrested two Woodland residents Thursday on suspicion of committing multiple acts of identity theft — including attempts to cash in on death benefits intended for the family of a slain sheriff’s deputy, authorities said.
Sheriff’s Lt. Matt Davis said the arrests culminated a four-month investigation that began in August, when the county’s insurance provider “contacted our office and reported a possible attempt to fraudulently cash benefit checks that had been mailed to family members of Deputy Tony Diaz.”
Diaz, a four-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, was fatally shot following a high-speed pursuit in Dunnigan on June 15, 2008. He was 37.
Working with the Yolo County District Attorney’s worker compensation program, sheriff’s investigators obtained a search warrant served Thursday at a residence in the 200 block of Palm Avenue in Woodland.
“Numerous fraudulent credit cards, stolen mail and false California Identification cards were located, along with two of the stolen benefit checks in the name of Tony Diaz,” Davis said, adding that methamphetamine and heroin were recovered from the residence as well.
Dawn Faulk, 50; and Jensen Faulk, 61; were booked into the Yolo County Jail on identity theft and drug possession charges. Dawn Faulk faces an additional count of filing a false/fraudulent insurance claim.
Davis said investigators are still tallying up the number of victims affected by the thefts. He also noted it’s unclear whether the Faulks knew who Diaz was when they allegedly attempted to cash the stolen benefit checks.