Nicholas J. Ganjei United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A 49-year-old Arlington resident and naturalized citizen, Nhiem Thi Dan "Sam" Nguyen, has been sentenced to 40 months in federal prison for her involvement in unlicensed money transmitting and money laundering. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Nguyen, who pled guilty on October 5, 2021, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison. In addition to her prison sentence, she will face one year of supervised release and will be required to forfeit $76,848 in cash and $17,801.52 in seized accounts. Judge Ellison determined that Nguyen played a managerial role in the conspiracy and knowingly committed the offenses.
"Money transmitters are regulated specifically to avoid the type of criminal facilitation that took place here," Ganjei stated. He further added, "Drug trafficking organizations spread misery, addiction, and violence, but they are fueled by cash. Money laundering schemes allow criminals to convert their ill-gotten gains into spendable currency, and so it’s always a win for the public when we can put one of these launderers out of operation."
According to Lucy Tan, acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office, Nguyen was heavily involved in the complex scheme. "In any scheme, criminals have to get the money distanced from the crime to avoid detection, which is the criminal business Nguyen and her accomplices ran," Tan explained.
Nguyen was a key figure in an unlicensed money transmitting business alongside Vinh and Diana Phan among others. Throughout the 21-month conspiracy, the operation transmitted more than $33 million, some of which originated from drug trafficking. Cash was funneled into the banking system via "money mules," then converted to virtual currency, effectively concealing its origin.
She was the last of six conspirators to be sentenced, with Vinh Quang Phan and Diana Le Phan both receiving ten-year prison terms and additional penalties. Branden Richards, Douglas Paul Michael Davis, and Michael Dean Richards were also sentenced, receiving various prison terms.
Nguyen has been allowed to remain on bond until she surrenders to a Federal Bureau of Prisons designated facility. The investigation was conducted by the IRS Criminal Investigation-led South Texas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Financial Crimes Task Force, with support from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Houston Police Department, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Bauman and Eun Kate Suh, along with Deputy Chief Brandon Fyffe of the Asset Recovery Section, prosecuted the case.
Additional details about the OCDETF Program appear on the Department of Justice’s dedicated webpage.
