Federal prosecutors say former Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do owes $878,000 in restitution for the bribes he admitted to receiving while in office, according to court filings posted Monday.
Do’s defense attorneys and prosecutors agreed on the amount the former supervisor received in bribes, about $868,000 plus legal fees owed to the county. But, his attorneys said in their filing, Do should have to pay $802,692 after deducting some salary for work his daughter completed for an involved nonprofit.
In June, Do was sentenced to five years in prison for one count of conspiracy to commit bribery for his role in a scheme involving the alleged embezzlement of millions in COVID-relief funds that forced his resignation and has seen others face criminal charges.
Days before Do is scheduled to report to prison on Aug. 15, a federal judge is set to decide how much the former supervisor owes the county for accepting bribes to direct contracts to two organizations for meal programs, which prosecutors say were not carried out as intended.
Do is required to pay restitution to the county “as necessary to disgorge himself of any and all benefits he received through his acts of corruption,” according to prosecutors.
After combing through evidence of payments made in the conspiracy to him and his daughters from September 2021 to March 2024, prosecutors said Do owes $878,230.
Orange County is the victim in the case and would receive the restitution money. The amount prosecutors are asking for is far less than the $11 million the county asked for in its victim impact statement.
Over two years, Do steered more than $10 million in county contracts and grants to organizations that were supposed to provide meals to the elderly and people with disabilities, including Viet America Society. A Vietnam War memorial was also to be built in Mile Square Regional Park, but was never finished.
Instead, only about 15% of county funding provided to Viet America Society was spent on meals, according to prosecutors. Rhiannon Do worked for Viet America Society and received an “executive-sized salary” while she was a full-time law student without much work experience.
The county wants restitution to match the full value of contracts and grants received by Do’s co-conspirators throughout the scheme. Prosecutors in their court filing cast doubt on being able to prove that amount in restitution.
Prosecutors and Do’s defense attorneys aren’t far off in their calculations for what Do owes.
Do’s defense attorneys argue that some of Rhiannon Do’s compensation while she worked for Viet America Society, which did business under the name Warner Wellness Center, should be deducted.
“Rhiannon did significant work for Warner Wellness Center, and it would, in fact, violate California law for her to work for approximately 17 months with no compensation,” Do’s attorneys said in a court filing.
Assuming she earned at least the fast food minimum wage of $20 over 17 months, her wages would total $65,920, making the final restitution number $802,692, Do’s defense attorneys said in their court filing Monday.
Rhiannon Do “did substantive work” for Warner Wellness, including drafting company manuals, hiring staff, working with food scientists to prepare senior-appropriate menus and “served as the face and main contact” for the organization, they said.
“While some of Ms. Do’s salary may be seen as being in appreciation of Andrew Do’s advocating for getting VAS the county contracts, Rhiannon Do’s salary was earned — and by California law has to be credited to her for her work,” defense attorneys argued.
Prosecutors say no deduction should be given since Rhiannon Do’s hiring and salary “were merely a front used to funnel bribe payments” to Do. She would not have been working for Warner Wellness Center if “absent her familial relationship to (Do) and the existence of the corrupt scheme.”
Do’s defense attorneys said while Do accepting bribes “was shameful and a betrayal of his constituents,” he was unaware of a broader conspiracy to “divert” and “essentially steal approximately $10 million” by failing to provide the services contracted for.
A Tustin home Rhiannon Do purchased using some of the bribe money has been surrendered. That home will be sold by the government and proceeds would offset any amount in restitution Do is required to pay. That home is valued at $1.3 million on Redfin.
The restitution hearing is scheduled for Aug. 11.
Ultimately, it will be up to U.S. District Judge James Selna to decide how much Do must repay.