In what appears to be a complex case of transnational fraud, a Vietnamese national has been charged with participating in a money laundering conspiracy to funnel at least $67 million in illicit funds. Le Van Hung, 29, of Vietnam, was extradited from South Korea and has faced a U.S. court for his alleged role in a scheme involving stolen U.S. resident identities and fraudulent unemployment insurance benefits that aided a multinational media company, according to a statement from Damian Williams, theUnited States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
The charges against Le Van Hung follow a sustained investigation involving the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), the U.S. Department of State s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and other agencies. Williams emphasized the gravity of the offenses, stating through theU.S. Attorney s Office, “As alleged, Le Van Hung, while located in a foreign country, conspired with the Chief Financial Officer of a global newspaper and media company to benefit the company and its affiliates by laundering tens of millions of dollars in fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits and other criminal proceeds.” Mellone added that the Department of Labor’s objective is to “investigate allegations of fraud involving the Department of Labor’s unemployment insurance program” and to “work with our law enforcement partners to safeguard benefits intended for unemployed American workers.”
Hung’s indictment includes serious charges: one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, with a maximum 20-year sentence; one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which could lead to a maximum of 30 years; one count of aggravated identity theft, carrying a mandatory two-year sentence; and one count of identity theft conspiracy, which has a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. In an example of the alleged criminal activities, Hung is accused of ordering a co-conspirator to impersonate an account holder to a bank in order to move laundered money, as detailed by theU.S. Attorney s Office.
Investigative efforts have been lauded by U.S. authorities, with Williams praising the work of DOL-OIG, DSS, and the Special Agents from his own office. He also credited U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Justice Department s Office of International Affairs for their roles in the arrest and extradition. A multipronged approach was fundamental, reflecting the OCDETF mission to identify, disrupt, and dismantle high-level criminal organizations. Anyone believing they may be a victim of the identity fraud perpetrated by Hung is encouraged to contact the U.S. Attorney s Office.
While the defendant bears a heavy slate of accusations, it is important to recall that within the U.S. justice system, Hung is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The final say on sentencing lies with the presiding judge and will be based on the culmination of legal proceedings, rather than the maximum potential sentences currently highlighted for each of the charges he faces.
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