Sacramento, California – A federal indictment in Sacramento has brought to light a significant bank fraud and identity theft case involving a local woman. Monique Marie Gonzales Grado, aged 31, faces serious charges after a grand jury handed down a seven-count indictment against her on March 27, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith detailed that Gonzales Grado is accused of using another person’s identity to secure loans under false pretenses. Specifically, she obtained a car loan for a Jaguar and a personal loan purportedly for medical expenses. These financial maneuvers were not simple acts of deception but involved complex manipulations including the use of stolen and altered checks.
The indictment reveals that Gonzales Grado deposited two altered checks into a credit union account. These checks, originally stolen, were modified to list the identity theft victim’s name as the payee, thus allowing Gonzales Grado unauthorized access to the funds. In a separate but equally deceptive act, she deposited another stolen check—this time altered to display her own name as the payee—into a different bank account that she opened in her own name.
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The investigation into these illicit activities was carried out by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with support from the California Highway Patrol. The case is now being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dhruv M. Sharma.
The charges laid against Gonzales Grado are severe. Each count of bank fraud could lead to a maximum of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Additionally, the two counts of aggravated identity theft carry mandatory consecutive sentences of two years each.
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It is important to note that these sentences are not predetermined but will be decided based on a variety of factors, including the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which consider the nature and circumstances of the offense, as well as the defendant’s history and characteristics.
As the case progresses, Gonzales Grado remains under the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. The legal proceedings are expected to uncover further details about the methods and motivations behind this complex scheme of bank fraud and identity theft.