A Bowie resident faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted on criminal charges that he posed as a software developer for a Virginia-based government contractor and had people in China perform the work. possible punishment.
The criminal charges were filed Wednesday against Vietnam-born Bowie resident Minh Phuong Vuong by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland following an investigation by the FBI.
Vong attended an interview for the job and submitted a false resume, but another person, whose identity has not yet been identified, was holding the job, according to the complaint. According to the news release, the unnamed collaborator was working on a contract under the guise of Vong as part of a national defense program to develop software for government agencies related to aviation-related work. Mr. Vong was employed by the company from late March 2023 to mid-July.
According to the complaint, Mr. Vong provided his associates with access to the company's programs while continuing to work his day job at Mr. Bowie's nail salon, Allure Nail Spa. In 2021, he earned about $45,000, most of it from his salon work. However, in 2022 and 2023, while continuing to work at the salon, Ms. Vong earned approximately $430,000 and approximately $380,000, respectively, with most of her income in those years coming from other employers.
FBI Special Agent Aaron Zentner, who is investigating the case, said in the complaint that Vong may have been working with one or more international associates with an interest in obtaining a position with the U.S. government. He said he concluded that there is.
“I believe that Mr. Vong has not performed an amount of work equal to his cumulative wages for more than 15 different employers, has instead outsourced work, and has transferred his secure computer system credentials to an unknown party.'' We allege that we have probable cause to believe that the information was provided to individuals “in China, Russia, and other locations outside the United States,'' Zentner wrote in the complaint to Maryland District Court Judge Adam Abelson.
According to the complaint, an account with a profile matching Vong's information sent $113,635 to an account in China around April 2023. The complaint alleges that over the past several years, he transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to accounts in China.
According to the complaint, Mr. Vong told Mr. Zentner in a May 13 interview that he had sent one or more laptops to a collaborator in China.
A federal district judge will review the charges, which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Following his release on Thursday, Vong was ordered to surrender his passport, not open any new bank accounts or lines of credit, and undergo mental health treatment.
