Pasco Couple Accused of Tax Fraud

Federal prosecutors in Tampa have accused Howayda Hamdan of Wesley Chapel of filing false tax returns and stealing more than $1 million from the government. Hamdan’s boyfriend, Abou El Faouatih, is also charged.

Hamdan worked at a Land O’ Lakes branch of Regions Bank. The government claims that, between January and April of this year, she opened 184 fraudulent bank accounts using 149 different stolen identities. Investigators say that she ultimately deposited 207 checks, totaling $1.08 million, into those accounts.

The checks happened to be from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, payment for tax refunds resulting from fake tax returns Hamdan allegedly filed, using those stolen identities.

A relatively minor amount – $65,429 – allegedly went to El Faouatih in the form of wire transfers and cashier’s checks. He is reportedly still under investigation by the U.S. Secret Service for related crimes.

While most Americans know that the Secret Service is tasked with protecting the President, many don’t know that its original purpose was to investigate the counterfeiting of U.S. currency. The Secret Service still does this but also investigates crimes that involve financial institution fraud, computer and telecommunications fraud, false identification documents, access device fraud, advance fee fraud, electronic funds transfers and money laundering.

Hamdan has been charged with scheming to defraud and criminal use of personal identification. Her bail was set at $2 million. El Faouatih is charged with grand theft. He posted $20,000 bail and was released.