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Aspiring rapper, two others charged in $8.1 million check-cashing scheme

By
FOX Local
Crime and Public Safety
Published August 30, 2026 5:09 PM MST
Published August 30, 2026 5:09 PM MST
article

In this photo illustration are checks from the U.S. Treasury on October 14, 2021 in Washington, DC. 

The Brief

    • The Justice Department charged three people, including a Los Angeles-area rapper, in connection with a check-cashing scheme.
    • The suspects are accused of having hundreds of checks, including more than 50 from the U.S. Treasury, that they obtained illegally.
    • They were able to successfully cash millions of dollars’ worth of the checks, prosecutors say.

Three suspects, including a Los Angeles-area rapper, face federal charges stemming from a check-cashing scheme that lasted nearly two years and during which they were able to make off with millions of dollars’ worth of stolen money, the Department of Justice announced.

Big picture view:

More than 50 U.S. Treasury checks and hundreds more that came from individuals and businesses passed through the hands of the three suspects, federal prosecutors said. All of the checks combined were worth approximately $8.1 million. They noted that among the Treasury checks were tax refunds, veterans’ benefits, and Social Security benefits. 

The Justice Department identified the three suspects as Ada Obayuwana, 31, who also goes by "ColdheartedAC" or "AC,"; Albert Vu, 28; and Cassandra Murillo, 31 and said they all face nine counts of bank fraud, in addition to other specific counts against each of them. 

The backstory:

The federal grand jury indictment alleges that the operation started in April 2022 or earlier and ran through December 2023, during which time the trio got their hands on hundreds of checks, including the Treasury checks. Prosecutors said they would forge endorsements on those checks or change the names and addresses on them. The suspects are also accused of opening bank accounts so they had somewhere to park the money they collected. 

By the numbers:

The Justice Department states Obayuwana tried cashing three of the Treasury checks, worth a combined $382,109, and was successful with one of them. That single check allowed him to withdraw $229,109 from the bank. 

In December 2023, prosecutors say, the aspiring rapper had more than 100 fake or stolen checks in his vehicle. The total value of those checks topped $6 million and approximately $2.5 million worth of them were Treasury checks. In all, the government claims Obayuwana was able to cash over $1.7 million worth of checks he possessed illegally.

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Vu is accused of trying to cash six Treasury checks worth $2,151,391 and succeeding with two of them. That allowed him to walk away with $772,159, prosecutors say. Vu is also accused of getting two cashier’s checks from an Anaheim bank, each worth a quarter-million dollars, and using one to pay a co-schemer’s LLC and spending that money on a Range Rover, while the other check allegedly went to Murillo. 

Murillo, meanwhile, tried cashing at least two checks and managed to succeed with one worth more than $31,000, according to the Justice Department. 

What's next:

The suspects potentially face up to 30 years in prison for each of the bank fraud charges, the Justice Department stated. They could also face additional time related to the other charges against them. 

Obayuwana and Vu have already been taken into custody, while Murillo is expected to turn herself in on Monday. 

The Source: Information for this article was taken from the Department of Justice. This story was reported from Orlando.




 

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