Monique Marie Dodson, the former controller of a Salinas-based civil contracting construction company, has been charged with six counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. The charges stem from allegations that Dodson stole more than $8 million from her employer between October 2021 and November 2023.
According to federal prosecutors, Dodson, age 42 and a resident of Monterey County, is accused of conducting approximately 136 unauthorized wire transfers from the company’s business account to her personal bank accounts. She allegedly disguised these transactions as payments for materials needed by the company.
Authorities state that Dodson used several methods to hide the unauthorized transfers. She reportedly intercepted and destroyed paper bank statements sent by the company’s bank that would have revealed the wire transfers. Additionally, she is accused of downloading electronic versions of the statements, removing her name from transfer descriptions, and saving these altered documents in company records. Prosecutors allege she also falsely listed these payments in the company’s accounting journal to further conceal their true nature.
The total amount involved in these alleged unauthorized wires is about $8,579,647.48.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian; FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani; IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office Special Agent in Charge Linda Nguyen; and Special Agent in Charge Ryan Korner of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG).
Dodson’s initial appearance and arraignment are scheduled for August 19, 2025 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins at federal district court in San Jose.
Prosecutors emphasized that an information merely alleges crimes have been committed and that Dodson is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted on all counts, she faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343, as well as up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for money laundering under 18 U.S.C. § 1957. Sentencing would be determined according to federal guidelines if there is a conviction.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Neal C. Hong is prosecuting the case with help from Sahib Kaur following an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS-CI, and FDIC-OIG.
