On Friday, former Orange County superintendent Andrew Doe will be sentenced to a bribery scheme, including the Covid-19 relief fund, on Friday, federal prosecutors announced the indictment of one of his friends and fellow members, as well as another man in connection with the case.
The charges taken over on Wednesday were not sealed on Friday.
Peter Anh Pham, 65, of Garden Grove, is charged with each of the respective charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and committing honest services.
Santa Ana co-defendant Than Huong Nguyen, 61, is charged with wire fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to conceal money laundering.
Federal prosecutors believe Fam is a fugitive. Nguyen’s first appearance and arrest are expected to be scheduled for Monday afternoon in federal court in Santa Ana. The 62-year-old DO is scheduled to be sentenced Monday morning.
Fam’s lawyer, Dean Steward, told City News Service, “When this all began, the first search (warrant) – Peter Fam has always said, “I have met all of my contractual obligations.” He is still like that.
“Those two defendants are accused of conspiring with corrupt politicians to fill their pockets, but the state suffered under the weight of Covid-19. My office and our laws,” US lawyer Bill Essayri said in a statement.
The Executive Partner will continue its efforts to prosecute individuals who have sacrificed government assistance aimed at helping those affected by the biggest public health emergency of the century.”
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer helped the office in the case against the DO and other defendants.
The indictment is another important step to ensuring accountability and consequences for those who conspired to use Orange Covid-19 funds as personal ATMs, and returning those stolen funds to them.
Rightful Owners – the community where these funds were originally intended.”
Pham ran a nonprofit organization for the Viet America Society, and Nguyen led the organization to save his hand.
The indictment “he argues that using his official position as an official supervisor, he will vote for millions of dollars in county funds allocated to his district, subject to his expenditures at his sole discretion. He will then lead the county contract to defendants Fam and Nugguen.”
The indictment also alleges that “in exchange for bribery from Defendant Femme in the form of payments to his daughter (and not named two other people), county employees will again use his official position to approve the contract and beneficiary agreement between the county and VAS and H2H.”
The money received will be used for other personal expenses, such as rent and bills, rather than for meal programs for the poor.
The indictment also charges the “significant others” of Doe Chief, who doesn’t name the “critical others” because he received money from the Fam, pretending to be providing consulting services to the VAS.
The Chief of Staff argues that “using his position in the county government, we will help VAS and H2H obtain county contracts, compile the terms of the contract to make it more advantageous to VAS and H2H, and help VAS and H2H meet reporting requirements and receive payments.”
Pham and Nguyen “submit false documents” to detail how the grants they claimed to have been spent “althought they used all the funds.”
Prosecutors alleged that the heating and air conditioning companies were used for money laundering.
“In total, during the conspiracy, defendants Fam and Nggien illegally acquired around $12 million in county funds,” the indictment alleges.
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