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CrimeMar 28, 2016
3 Indicted in Nationwide Credit Fraud Scheme
Federal prosecutors allege that the men presented fake California driver’s licenses when applying for in-store credit and then used it to purchase luxury watches from more than 40 jewelry stores.
Williamsport, Pa.--Federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania have unsealed the indictments of three men wanted for presenting fake driver’s licenses to obtain in-store credit and then using it to buy luxury watches from jewelry stores across the country.
The three suspects have been identified by federal authorities as: Thung Van Huynh, 46, of Garden Grove, Calif.; 48-year-old Tung Thanh Doan of Stanton, Calif.; and 55-year-old John Quangchoang Nguyen, also of Garden Grove.
They were indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank fraud and fraud in connection with identification documents. They face a maximum of 30 years in prison.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the trio used counterfeit California driver’s licenses to buy, or attempt to buy, Rolex, Breitling and Omega watches from more than 40 jewelry stores throughout the United States.
The value of the watches fraudulently obtained totals more than $500,000.
The indictment alleges that the men used the fake driver’s licenses to submit fraudulent applications for loans and credit, ripping off the jewelry stores as well as stealing the identities of 25 individuals and defrauding five financial institutions.
Victim stores include two in State College and one in Camp Hill, Pa., which lie within the jurisdiction of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
A federal grand jury in Williamsport, Pa. indicted all three men back in November but the indictment wasn’t unsealed until last Wednesday (March 23) following the arrests and initial appearances of Huynh and Doan.
The initial appearance of Nguyen, who already was in custody, took place on Feb. 9.
According to federal prosecutors, another alleged participant in the scheme, Phil Nguyen, already has been indicted and pleaded guilty to wire fraud. He is awaiting sentencing by a federal judge in Scranton, Pa.
The Jewelers’ Security Alliance, which warned jewelers of this scheme back in 2014, was cited among the organizations that assisted the FBI with the investigation.
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