Summary (tl;dr)

An aspiring Los Angeles-area rapper, Ada William Obayuwana (known as "ColdheartedAC"), and two co-defendants have been indicted in a federal grand jury for an alleged scheme involving more than $8.1 million in stolen U.S. Treasury and other checks.

Essential Background

The alleged scheme operated from April 2022 to December 2023, during which the defendants purportedly acquired over 50 stolen U.S. Treasury checks, including tax refunds, veterans' benefits, and Social Security Administration benefits, along with hundreds of other checks from individuals and businesses. They are accused of forging endorsements, altering names and addresses on the checks, and establishing bank accounts using fraudulent business documents and stolen identities to deposit the illicit funds. In December 2023, authorities discovered more than 100 stolen or fraudulent checks, cumulatively valued over $6.1 million, in Obayuwana's vehicle in Oceanside.

The Full Story

Ada William Obayuwana, 31, of Quartz Hill, Albert Tai Vu, 28, of Westminster, and Cassandra Marie Murrillo, 31, of San Diego, face a 25-count federal grand jury indictment. Obayuwana was arrested on Wednesday, August 27, 2026, and made his initial appearance in Los Angeles federal court the same day, where he was ordered to remain in federal custody pending trial. He is specifically charged with nine counts of bank fraud, three counts of delivering stolen Treasury checks, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Vu was arrested on August 28, 2026, while Murrillo is expected to surrender to federal authorities on August 31, 2026. If convicted, each bank fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison, and each aggravated identity theft count carries a mandatory consecutive two-year sentence.

Why It Matters

This case underscores the growing national problem of check fraud, which has seen a substantial increase, impacting vulnerable populations such as veterans and Social Security recipients. The involvement of an aspiring rapper has drawn attention from both the law enforcement and entertainment sectors, highlighting the diverse individuals who can be entangled in such large-scale financial crimes. The alleged $8.1 million fraud demonstrates the significant financial impact these schemes can have on individuals and financial institutions.

Geographic Location

• Los Angeles Federal Court, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States (Obayuwana's initial appearance and detention hearing)
• Quartz Hill, Los Angeles County, California, United States (residence of Ada William Obayuwana)
• Westminster, Orange County, California, United States (residence of Albert Tai Vu)
• San Diego, San Diego County, California, United States (residence of Cassandra Marie Murrillo and locations of alleged bank/credit union deposits/withdrawals)
• Oceanside, San Diego County, California, United States (location where over 100 stolen checks were found in Obayuwana's car in December 2023)
• Los Angeles County, California, United States (county where alleged scheme operated, including bank/credit union deposits/withdrawals)
• Orange County, California, United States (county where alleged scheme operated, including bank/credit union deposits/withdrawals)