Berliner Tageblatt - Los Angeles County Rapper Among Three Charged in $8.1 Million Stolen-Check Case

LOS ANGELES — An aspiring Los Angeles County rapper and two other defendants have been charged in federal court over an alleged stolen-check operation involving checks with a combined value exceeding $8.1 million.

Ada William Obayuwana, 31, of Quartz Hill, who uses the name ColdheartedAC, is among the defendants named in the case. Federal authorities allege that the group illegally obtained and possessed stolen checks and attempted to move money through accounts under their control.

The checks included more than 50 issued by the U.S. Treasury, according to authorities. Government checks can include tax refunds as well as payments connected to Social Security and veterans' benefits.

Prosecutors allege that stolen checks were deposited and that false identities were used as part of efforts to route proceeds into controlled accounts. The case involves checks originating from multiple victims and sources rather than a single theft.

Obayuwana was allegedly found with more than 100 stolen checks in his vehicle in Oceanside, according to reports describing the federal case. The volume of checks and their combined face value form the basis of the multimillion-dollar allegations.

Two co-defendants from Westminster and San Diego have also been charged. Federal prosecutors are pursuing the matter as a coordinated financial-fraud case involving possession and attempted use of stolen payment instruments.

The inclusion of U.S. Treasury checks adds a federal dimension because the alleged losses involve government-issued payments intended for taxpayers and benefit recipients.

Authorities have not alleged that every check in the defendants' possession was successfully cashed. The stated $8.1 million figure represents the combined value of checks involved in the alleged scheme.

The case follows a broader law-enforcement focus on stolen mail and check fraud, in which checks can be altered, deposited using fraudulent identities or transferred through accounts opened or controlled by participants in a scheme.

The defendants face allegations that must be proven in court. They are presumed innocent unless convicted through the judicial process.

J.Horn--BTB