A federal grand jury has indicted Monique Marie Gonzales Grado, 31, from Sacramento, on charges related to bank fraud and identity theft. Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced the indictment on March 27, 2025. Gonzales Grado faces five counts of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to the court documents, Gonzales Grado is accused of using another person's identity to secure a car loan to purchase a Jaguar and a personal loan for supposed "medical expenses." She allegedly deposited stolen checks, altered with the identity-theft victim's name, into a related credit union account to access funds. Additionally, Gonzales Grado is accused of depositing another stolen check, altered with her name, into a separate bank account she had opened.
The case is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, in collaboration with the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dhruv M. Sharma is leading the prosecution.
If found guilty, Gonzales Grado could face up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for each bank fraud charge, alongside a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence for the identity theft charges. These sentences, however, would depend on the court's evaluation based on statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which consider various factors. Currently, these charges are accusations, and Gonzales Grado is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.