LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — A Las Cruces woman faces more than 100 criminal charges after investigators uncovered a large-scale identity theft and forgery scheme.
Karen Michelle Montoya, 37, was arrested Thursday and booked into the Doña Ana County Detention Center. She faces 82 counts of receiving stolen property, 21 counts of stolen identity, and eight counts of forgery, according to jail records.
The case began in December 2023, when a victim reported a car break-in and the theft of a checkbook. Days later, the victim’s bank alerted him that checks totaling over $3,000 had been cashed or attempted.
Investigators allege Montoya used a stolen driver’s license to cash the forged checks. In July 2024, police searched her apartment at Plaza Suites on E. University Avenue, uncovering boxes of stolen personal documents, bank checks, forgery practice sheets, and newly purchased items such as tools and motorcycles.
Authorities believe the stolen documents came from cars parked at nearby Ramada Inn and Courtyard by Marriott hotels. After months of cataloging evidence, police linked the stolen property to multiple victims.
Montoya remains held without bond as the investigation continues.
