The founder and president of the nonprofit Viet America Society has been indicted on federal charges alleging that he bribed former Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do to receive $12 million in COVID-relief funds, the U.S. Attorney’s office announced Friday.
Prosecutors accused Peter Pham, 65, of pocketing the bulk of the money and then laundering it to avoid detection by law enforcement.
Pham was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, six counts of concealment money laundering, and one count of bribery, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Pham’s indictment was returned Wednesday and unsealed Friday. The indictment also charged Thanh Huong Nguyen, 61, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of concealment money laundering. He is tied to the Garden Grove-based group called Hand-to-Hand Relief Organization Inc.
Prosecutors said Pham is a fugitive from justice. Nguyen’s arraignment is expected to occur Monday at a federal courthouse in Santa Ana, the same day a judge will sentence Do following his agreement last year with federal prosecutors to plead guilty. The judge could decide to put Do in prison for up to five years.
“Peter Pham has always maintained that he completely fulfilled his contracts with the county. Any criminal charges are baseless and deeply unfortunate,” H. Dean Steward, Pham’s lawyer, said Friday afternoon.
“These two defendants are charged with conspiring with a corrupt politician to pad their pockets while the nation suffered under the weight of COVID-19,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli in a news release. “My office and our law enforcement partners will continue our efforts to prosecute individuals who cashed in on government aid intended to help those impacted by the largest public health emergency in a century.”