Two individuals from Santa Ana, California, have pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of money laundering conspiracy, according to United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan.
Thien Phuc Tran, aged 33, and Ton Huynh Bui, aged 30, entered their guilty pleas before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan.
These individuals were involved in a broad criminal conspiracy consisting of two main elements: a fraud scheme aimed at defrauding victims of money, followed by a money laundering scheme to legitimize the fraudulently obtained funds. Tran and Bui were specifically part of the money laundering aspect of the operation. The scheme targeted vulnerable victims across the United States, often elderly individuals. The perpetrators used various deceptive tactics, including computer pop-ups and telephone calls from co-conspirators operating from call centers in India, to persuade victims to send their money to bank accounts that had been set up using stolen Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Typically, victims would receive a pop-up message on their computer screen that appeared to be from a reputable tech company, like Microsoft, urging them to call a specific number. When victims called the number, they were told that their identity had been compromised and were then convinced to send money to bank accounts established by Tran and Bui using stolen PII. Tran was involved in laundering $4,247,973.23 in fraud proceeds, while Bui handled a lesser amount, $194,278.45.
Sentencing for both individuals has been scheduled for January 24, 2024. The law allows for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater, or both. The actual sentence will be determined based on the seriousness of the offense and the defendant’s prior criminal history, if any, under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Both Tran and Bui have been granted bond pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen R. Kaufman and Robert S. Cessar are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The investigation leading to the prosecution of Tran and Bui was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Secret Service.
By FCCT Editorial Team
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