Ismail J. Ramsey, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California
A federal grand jury has indicted two residents of Emeryville, California, on charges related to a scheme involving stolen U.S. Treasury checks. Franchesca Calagui, 25, and Dondre Gray, 27, face charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud. Additionally, Calagui is charged with receiving U.S. Treasury checks with forged endorsements or signatures.
The indictment reveals that between May 2022 and March 2023, the pair allegedly conspired to acquire stolen Treasury checks and recruited others to fraudulently endorse these checks. Calagui then reportedly cashed them for personal gain while working as a part-time associate banker at JP Morgan Chase Bank.
Text messages cited in the indictment show discussions between Gray and Calagui about the fraudulent activities. Gray mentioned his reluctance to target Chase Bank due to Calagui's employment there, to which she replied indifferently. The scheme involved "runners," individuals paid to cash fraudulent checks and return the proceeds.
The defendants are accused of cashing at least 339 stolen Treasury checks worth over $850,000 in total. Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins announced the charges alongside officials from several investigative agencies including the FBI and IRS-CI.
Calagui and Gray are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1349 and five counts of bank fraud under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1344(1), (2). Calagui faces additional charges for receiving checks with forged endorsements under 18 U.S.C. § 510(b). Both were arrested and appeared in federal court yesterday; their next court date is April 3, 2025.
It is important to note that an indictment is not proof of guilt; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, they could face up to 30 years in prison and fines up to $1 million per count.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Cynthia Johnson is leading the prosecution with assistance from Amala James. The case stems from an investigation by multiple federal agencies including the FBI and SSA OIG.
