Two former Fresno State University students have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that they were involved in a scheme to change transcript grades for cash payments, a case that bears similarities to a scandal at a Pleasant Hill community college.

John Escalera, 29, of Fresno and Gustavo Razo Jr., 28, of Pasadena were indicted on charges of conspiracy, honest services wire fraud, identity theft and unauthorized computer access. Escalera pleaded not guilty Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Gary Austin in Fresno, court records show. Razo pleaded not guilty Thursday. Both were ordered to return to court Nov. 16.Escalera, who had been a Fresno State student employee at the help desk of the university's information technology unit, hacked into the university's computer system in 2004 to obtain names and passwords of people who had grade-changing authority, federal prosecutors said. He then obtained user names and accompanying passwords for the registrar and assistant registrar, authorities said.Escalera then signed on from remote computer locations to change grades for himself and Razo, a friend, investigators said.Razo paid Escalera in cash to make grade changes, said the indictment, which didn't specify a dollar amount. The grade changes were discovered during a routine audit.

The alleged crimes are similar to a grade-changing scandal at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill.

E-mail Henry K. Lee at hlee@sfchronicle.com.