GREENBELT, Md. – Minh Phuong Ngoc Vong, 40, of Bowie, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a scheme that defrauded U.S. companies and enabled foreign criminals to access sensitive government systems. The plea agreement outlines how Vong worked with accomplices, including an individual known as “John Doe” (also referred to as William James), a foreign national residing in Shenyang, China. Together, they exploited U.S. companies by hiring Vong as a remote software developer under false pretenses.
The fraud began when, on January 30, 2023, “Doe” submitted a fake resume in Vong’s name to a Virginia-based technology firm for the position of web application developer, a job that required U.S. citizenship. The resume falsely claimed Vong had a Bachelor’s degree and 16 years of experience as a software developer, when in reality, Vong had no college degree and lacked experience in the field.
On March 28, 2023, Vong participated in an online job interview with the company’s CEO, during which he falsely verified his identity and U.S. citizenship using a Maryland driver’s license and passport. As a result, the company hired Vong, assigning him to a contract with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop software used by U.S. government agencies for managing national defense information. The company also provided Vong with a laptop and authorized him to access government facilities and systems using a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card.
However, instead of doing the work himself, Vong installed remote access software on the laptop, allowing Doe to work from China using Vong’s credentials. Between March and July 2023, Doe performed the software development tasks and was paid by the Virginia company, which subsequently paid Vong more than $28,000 in wages for work he did not do. Vong then sent portions of these wages overseas to Doe and other accomplices.
Vong admitted that the Virginia-based company was just one of many he and his co-conspirators defrauded. Between 2021 and 2024, he used fraudulent representations to gain employment at 13 U.S. companies, earning over $970,000 for software development services that were, in fact, performed by Doe and other overseas co-conspirators. Some of these companies contracted out Vong’s services to U.S. government agencies, unknowingly granting unauthorized access to sensitive government systems, which were then accessed by criminals in China.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, expressed concern about the potential national security threats posed by Vong’s actions. “His actions gave unauthorized individuals access to critical government systems, endangering our national defense,” Hayes said.
William J. DelBagno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, added, “The FBI is warning about an increase in fraud schemes where criminals pose as software workers to steal data and sensitive information. We urge organizations to closely monitor their hiring processes.”
Vong’s case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina A. Hoffman, with valuable assistance from Alexandra Cooper-Ponte of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section. U.S. Attorney Hayes thanked the FBI and local law enforcement partners for their efforts in bringing this case to justice.
This investigation is part of the Department of Justice’s larger initiative, launched in 2024, to identify and shut down U.S.-based “laptop farms” used by foreign criminals to commit similar fraud schemes. This effort is aimed at protecting U.S. companies and government agencies from cybersecurity threats.
