Hiep Cong Van and Thy Minh Phan are headed to federal prison after tricking an elderly man into loaning them $3 million, according to The Oregonian.
The victim, identified by the publication only as R.W., gave the couple the money under the assumption that it was to help operate a landscaping business in Colorado and cover some legal fees.
R.W. is said to have met Van through the business before moving to Oregon to enjoy retirement.
Instead the couple used the stolen funds to live large in Las Vegas, gambling at the Aria, Bellagio, Caesars Palace and MGM Grand.
Van and Phan spent more than three years “bleeding him for all that he had,” The Oregonian reported, citing a statement from Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford made in federal court on Thursday.
The victim wired the funds to Van and Phan in Colorado and Nevada. He also purchased cashier’s checks, according to the outlet, and sent some money by mail.
R.W. reportedly signed a contract stating Van and Phan, 39, would repay the loans with interest.
The couple failed to uphold their end of the deal, and on Thursday Van was sentenced to three years and one month in prison. The prosecution reportedly went into the trial seeking a sentence of four years and nine months.
You committed a crime that caused a devastating loss to a perfectly innocent man who’s not likely to be repaid,” U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown said during sentencing.
“The man put faith in you…because he trusted you. And you repeatedly abused that trust.”
Phan was sentenced in November to one year and nine months behind bars.
She’s set to begin serving her time next week, The Oregonian reported.
Emeh Achanga,the CEO of the Miss Petite Nigeria Brand is a lawyer turned blogger. She is very passionate about writing, with several publications and awards to her credit .She is currently working on publishing a collection of short stories which are basically a memoir about her exciting true experiences.
