SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) — A Castro Valley man was charged Friday in a federal courtroom in San Francisco in connection with a fraud scheme that netted him more than $1 million in unemployment benefits from various state agencies.
The charges against 46-year-old Idowu Hashim Shittu were announced Friday by United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and other federal officials.
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Prosecutors allege that Shittu accessed the funds by using debit cards — which had been issued to other individuals in Washington — to withdraw the funds from ATMs in the Bay Area and to purchase goods in Bay Area stores.
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Shittu was charged with three counts of access device fraud and faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 15 years in prison for each count plus potential restitution.
Shittu’s next court appearance is set for Monday. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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Source: sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com.