A struggling Los Angeles rapper is at the centre of a sprawling federal bank fraud case that allegedly funnelled more than $8.1 million in stolen and forged cheques through accounts across southern California. Prosecutors say the scheme targeted vulnerable Americans, cashing in on tax refunds, Social Security payments and veterans’ benefits meant for ordinary people.
Ada William Obayuwana, 31, who performs under the stage name “ColdheartedAC,” was arrested on Wednesday and remains in federal custody. He faces a string of charges alongside two alleged co-conspirators, Albert Tai Vu, 28, of Westminster, and Cassandra Marie Murrillo, 31, of San Diego. All three have been hit with nine counts of bank fraud. The indictment reads like a catalogue of financial crime.
A Scheme Built on Forgery and Stolen Identities
According to the US Department of Justice, the trio operated between April 2022 and December 2023, stealing cheques with a combined value exceeding $8.1 million. That haul allegedly included 50 US Treasury cheques carrying tax refunds, Social Security Administration benefits and veterans’ benefits, alongside hundreds of personal and corporate cheques.
The mechanics were crude but effective. Prosecutors say the group forged signatures, altered payee details and shifted addresses to redirect funds into accounts they controlled. To cover their tracks, they opened bank accounts using business records crafted to mimic the identities of their victims. It was deception on an industrial scale, executed with paperwork and patience.
Millions Funnelled Through Southern California Branches
The stolen money was deposited at credit union and bank branches across Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties, a sprawling region that gave the defendants considerable room to operate. Federal investigators believe Obayuwana personally attempted to cash at least three Treasury tax refund cheques valued at roughly $382,109, successfully negotiating one for approximately $229,109.
Vu, prosecutors allege, tried to clear six Treasury cheques totalling $2,151,391, successfully cashing two tax refund cheques worth $772,159. Murrillo is accused of attempting to negotiate two cheques worth $60,193, successfully cashing one for $31,405.
The numbers are staggering and the targets were often the most defenceless.
A Carload of Evidence
The case against Obayuwana tightened considerably in December 2023, when federal agents searched his vehicle in Oceanside. Inside, they reportedly found more than 100 stolen or altered cheques with a combined value exceeding $6.1 million. That stash included 48 Treasury cheques worth approximately $2,555,417 in tax refunds and federal benefits. Eight of the cheques found in his possession had already been cashed, generating $1,701,507.
It was the kind of haul that suggested either brazenness or carelessness, possibly both.
Mounting Charges Across the Board
The indictment goes well beyond bank fraud. Obayuwana faces three additional counts of delivering stolen Treasury cheques and a single count of aggravated identity theft. Vu is charged with five counts of delivering stolen Treasury cheques, four counts of money laundering and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Murrillo faces an extra count of delivering stolen Treasury cheques.
The breadth of the charges suggests prosecutors are determined to throw the full weight of the federal system at a case they view as both calculated and damaging. Each count carries the potential for significant prison time, and the aggravated identity theft charges alone come with mandatory minimum sentences.
The allegations paint a picture of a network that systematically exploited the US postal and banking systems, siphoning funds that were meant for retirees, disabled veterans and struggling families. Treasury cheques, in particular, are designed to deliver critical support to some of the country’s most vulnerable citizens, making their alleged theft all the more brazen.
Why it Matters
This case lays bare how easily the machinery of federal benefits can be hijacked by those willing to forge signatures and manipulate identities. Treasury cheques are lifelines for millions of Americans, including pensioners, disabled veterans and low-income families who depend on them arriving intact and on time. The alleged scheme didn’t just steal money, it stole security from people who could least afford the loss. Beyond the headline figures, the prosecution sends a signal that federal investigators are prepared to pursue cheque fraud with the same intensity as cybercrime, treating paper-based theft as a serious threat to public trust in the financial system.