An Orange County couple is facing charges in connection with a complex identity theft scheme that prosecutors say involved fraudulent home equity loans. Thao Thi Kim Nguyen, a 47-year-old resident of Garden Grove, and Nghiep Chinh Nguyen, a 55-year-old resident of Westminster, have pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, as well as multiple counts of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to the U.S. Justice Department, the defendants were arraigned on July 31 and are set to face trial on September 26. If convicted, they could each face up to 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy and fraud charges, as well as two years for each aggravated identity theft charge.
The indictment against Thao Nguyen and Nghiep Nguyen alleges that over a four-month period in 2018, they stole the identities of homeowners and convinced banks to issue cash-out mortgages on those properties. As part of their scheme, Thao Nguyen would visit banks where she had accounts, accompanied by Nghiep Nguyen and other co-schemers. Nghiep Nguyen and the co-schemers would then pose as the victim homeowners, forging their signatures on various documents to fraudulently obtain cash-out mortgages on the properties.
Prosecutors also claim that Nghiep Nguyen used counterfeit California driver’s licenses and Social Security cards containing the victims’ names, further perpetuating the fraud. In one instance, Thao Nguyen even claimed that the victims were her parents, adding another layer of deception.
The scheme primarily targeted Vietnamese Americans and generated approximately $2.182 million in proceeds. Authorities are hopeful that the upcoming trial will bring justice to the victims and their families.
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