LOS ANGELES, CA – An Orange County Sheriff’s Department employee has pleaded guilty to bank fraud and identity theft after forging checks and using credit cards in her 75-year-old grandmother’s name, federal officials announced.
Roxana C. Laub, 33, admitted in a plea agreement to forging her grandmother’s signature on more than 20 checks drawn from her grandmother’s bank account, depositing them into her own account without permission. Over a 23-month period from December 2015 to January 2017, Laub amassed approximately $45,000 through the fraudulent checks, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
In addition, Laub impersonated her grandmother in calls to the bank to access account details. When confronted by bank personnel who suspected foul play, Laub falsely claimed her grandmother was feeling unwell and unavailable to confirm account activities.
Beginning in March 2020, Laub also used her grandmother’s credit cards to fund thousands of dollars in personal expenses, including restaurant meals in Santa Ana, trips to bars in West Hollywood, and a visit to a Las Vegas nightclub. Officials said Laub later used another credit card belonging to her grandmother to pay off $14,000 in debts accrued on the fraudulent accounts.
Federal agents investigating the case uncovered text messages where Laub expressed remorse, writing to a family member, “I know what I did is unforgivable.”
Laub, who resides in Santa Ana and is currently on administrative duty at the sheriff’s department, has agreed to repay the stolen funds. Her grandmother’s name has not been disclosed.
Laub faces sentencing on April 9, 2025, with potential penalties including up to 30 years in federal prison for bank fraud and an additional 15 years for identity theft.
The investigation involved the FDIC Office of the Inspector General and the Long Beach Police Department, which provided significant assistance, according to the DOJ.
Federal authorities are encouraging anyone aged 60 or older who has experienced financial fraud to contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). The hotline operates daily from 3 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific Time and offers services in English, Spanish, and other languages.
Further information about elder justice efforts is available at the DOJ’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
