Minh Phuong Ngoc Vong, a 40-year-old resident of Bowie, Maryland, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to court documents, Vong worked with unidentified accomplices, including John Doe, also known as William James from Shenyang, China, to deceive U.S. companies into employing him as a remote software developer. Through the use of false statements about his qualifications, Vong secured jobs and then allowed Doe and others to use his access credentials to perform the required work and receive payments.
On January 30, 2023, John Doe submitted a counterfeit resume under Vong’s name to a Virginia-based tech company seeking a web application developer, a position requiring a U.S. citizenship. Vong’s resume falsely claimed he held a Bachelor of Science degree and had 16 years of software development experience, despite having neither a degree nor relevant expertise.
Vong further reinforced his deception on March 28, 2023, during an online interview with the Virginia-based company by showing a Maryland driver’s license and U.S. Passport to verify his identity. Consequently, he was hired and given a role on a Federal Aviation Administration contract, involving software used by U.S. government entities to manage sensitive national defense data. As part of his employment, Vong received a laptop and a Personal Identity Verification card for accessing government systems, which he used to install remote access software for Doe to connect from China discreetly.
Between March and July 2023, Doe completed the software work using Vong’s credentials, for which Vong was paid more than $28,000. Vong then transferred portions of this payment abroad to Doe and other co-conspirators.
Vong’s fraudulent activities extended beyond a single company. From 2021 to 2024, he was employed by at least 13 U.S. companies through deceit, earning over $970,000 in total for work subcontracted to his accomplices overseas. Some of the defrauded companies had contracts with U.S. government agencies, inadvertently granting the conspirators access to confidential systems.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, alongside Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno from the FBI Baltimore Field Office, made the announcement of Vong’s guilty plea. Hayes stated, “Mr. Vong put the United States and its citizens in harm’s way by plotting and engaging in this fraudulent scheme. His actions gave unauthorized people access to sensitive U.S. Government systems and national-defense matters.”
DelBagno added, “The FBI is warning about an increase in these fraud schemes affecting businesses and organizations around the world. Criminals pose as software workers to illegally access networks, stealing data and sensitive information. Furthermore, the money criminals are paid for their ‘work’, often benefits foreign adversaries.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina A. Hoffman, with assistance from Alexandra Cooper-Ponte of the National Security Division’s Cyber Section, is prosecuting the case. Their efforts are part of the Department-wide DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative, targeting fraudulent operations involving U.S. firms’ laptops and overseas conspirators.
For additional information, visit the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office’s website.
