A civilian employee of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department admitted Wednesday, Nov. 20 to forging tens of thousands of dollars worth of checks and fraudulently using credit cards that were in her grandmother’s name, prosecutors said.
Roxana C. Laub, 33, of Santa Ana pleaded guilty to one felony count of bank fraud and one count of identity theft, according to a U.S. Department of Justice statement.
Laub — who worked as a uniformed correctional officer at the Orange County jail but who is not a sworn deputy — has agreed to pay back the money she took from her grandmother. In a text recovered by federal agents, Laub reportedly wrote “I know what I did is unforgiveable.”
As part of a plea deal, Laub admitted forging her 75-year-old grandmothers signature on more than 20 checks, making $45,000 in funds payable to herself.
Laub also admitted to charging thousands of dollars on her grandmother’s credit card to pay for personal expenses, including meals at restaurants and bars in Santa Ana and West Hollywood and a nightclub in Las Vegas.
To make payments on the credit card bills, prosecutors say Laub pulled another $14,000 from one of her grandmother’s bank accounts.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Laub was hired in January 2021 and was placed on administrative leave in May 2023 once the allegations came to light. Sheriff’s officials say she is still on leave, pending the outcome of an administrative investigation. Officials say such an investigation “could result in discipline up to or including termination,” but that they were not able to comment further while the investigation is ongoing.
Laub is scheduled to return to court on April 9 for sentencing.
