A former Land O' Lakes bank employee and her boyfriend are accused of filing phony tax returns and stealing more than $1 million of government money.
A former bank employee and her boyfriend are accused of filing phony tax returns and stealing more than $1 million of government money.
Between January and April, Howayda Hamdan, 28, who worked at the Regions Bank at 22645 State Road 54 in Land O' Lakes, opened 184 fraudulent bank accounts using 149 stolen identities, according to arrest reports. During that time, she deposited 207 checks totaling $1.08 million into those accounts, investigators say.
The checks from the U.S. Department of the Treasury were paid off phony tax returns Hamdan filed using the names and personal information of victims, investigators said.
Two wire transfers and two cashier's checks totaling $65,429 went to her boyfriend, Abou El Faouatih, detectives said. He was seen on a surveillance video cashing the two cashier's checks at the Regions Bank at 133 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Wesley Chapel.
Abou El Faouatih is also under investigation by the U.S. Secret Service for related crimes, his arrest report states.
Hamdan was arrested Saturday on charges of scheming to defraud and criminal use of personal identification. She is in the Land O' Lakes Jail, with bail set at $2 million. Abou El Faouatih, 31, was arrested Saturday on a charge of grand theft. He posted $20,000 bail and was released shortly after his arrest.
Both live at 30134 Rattana Court in Wesley Chapel, according to arrest reports.
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