Dakota County Social Worker Charged With Allegedly Falsifying Official Child Mental Health Documents
Published: July 10th, 2026
DAKOTA COUNTY: A Dakota County social worker has been charged with a gross misdemeanor after prosecutors allege she falsified official documents related to children's mental health case management over more than a year.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Dakota County, Gabriela Monge Lagunes Klein, 32, is charged with one count of misconduct of a public officer or employee by making a false official document, a gross misdemeanor under Minnesota law.
The complaint alleges the offenses occurred between Jan. 16, 2025, and March 5, 2026, while Klein was employed as a Children's Mental Health Case Manager – Social Worker for Dakota County.
According to the probable cause statement, the Dakota County Sheriff's Office began investigating on March 25, 2026, after receiving a report that official paperwork completed by Klein had allegedly been altered.
Prosecutors allege Klein's job duties included creating Individual Family Community Support Plans (IFCSPs) for children receiving mental health services. Under Minnesota law, those plans must be completed within required timeframes, reviewed periodically, and signed by a child's parent or guardian, the assigned social worker, and the social worker's supervisor before becoming active.
The complaint alleges Klein's supervisor discovered multiple documents involving eight separate families that appeared to have been altered. According to the complaint, investigators found documents that were allegedly:
Backdated to make it appear they had been signed earlier than they actually were.
Altered using correction fluid to remove original signature dates before inserting different dates.
Created using photocopies of parents' signatures without permission.
Included at least one signature that prosecutors allege was written by someone other than the parent.
According to the complaint, the existence of signed IFCSPs and the dates they were signed are considered material because active service plans are required before insurance can be billed for face-to-face services.
Klein is charged with one count of misconduct of a public officer or employee (making a false document). The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and/or a $3,000 fine if convicted.
The allegations contained in the criminal complaint are accusations. Klein is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.