SAUGUS MAN LINKED TO MORE THAN 50 VICTIMS.

Byline: CAROL ROCK Staff Writer

SAUGUS -- A convicted identity thief pulled over for speeding on Soledad Canyon Road is being held on seven new felony counts related to identity theft, sheriff's officials said.

Saugus resident John Michael Owen, 26, was on probation from the earlier conviction and is under federal investigation from an arrest in October, officials said.

``We had been looking for him, since he was a probation violator,'' said detective Doug Nale of the Santa Clarita sheriff's station. ``He has more than 50 victims in Santa Clarita that we've been able to identify.''

According to a sheriff's statement, Owen was arrested in October 2005 after authorities searched his home and found counterfeit checks and drivers licenses, stolen mail and U.S. Postal mailbox keys.

He was released, pending further investigation by the Postal Service, sheriff's officials said. That investigation is still going on.

In December, he was arrested again after deputies said they found him with counterfeit checks and drivers licenses, stolen blank checks and a mailbox key. Convicted of forgery and possessing stolen property, he served 27 days in county jail and was released on three years probation, sheriff's officials said.

On June 25, Owen was stopped for speeding on Soledad Canyon Road and taken into custody on suspicion of possessing counterfeit blank checks and drivers licenses, personal identifying information and stolen property.

Owen has been charged with four felony counts of possession of counterfeit driver licenses and three felony counts of possessing stolen property and one count of possession of personal identifying information.

He is currently being held without bail at Men's Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles.

``We tell people to pick up their mail immediately after the carrier leaves it, or to get a post office box,'' Nale said. ``That's costly and inconvenient, but so is having your identity stolen.''

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com

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