Overview
- Ada William Obayuwana, who was arrested Wednesday, was named in a 25-count federal indictment alongside Albert Tai Vu and Cassandra Marie Murrillo charging bank fraud and related offenses tied to more than $8.1 million in stolen checks.
- Federal agents say they found more than 100 stolen or altered checks in Obayuwana’s car in December 2023, including 48 U.S. Treasury checks worth about $2.55 million and eight Treasury checks cashed for roughly $1.7 million.
- The indictment accuses the trio of forging endorsements, changing payee or address information, opening accounts and using sham business records to deposit and move funds drawn from tax refunds, Social Security payments and veterans’ benefits.
- Each defendant faces nine bank fraud counts while individual charges differ: Obayuwana faces additional counts for delivering stolen Treasury checks and aggravated identity theft, Vu faces money‑laundering and extra stolen‑check counts, and Murrillo faces an extra delivery count.
- Obayuwana remains detained pending trial, Vu was released on a $15,000 bond, Murrillo is expected to surrender, and a conviction could bring decades in prison while prompting banks and agencies to review check‑cash controls to protect victims.