Thomas Thanh Pham, Wire Fraud, California 2019

MINNEAPOLIS – Thomas Thanh Pham, 52, of Burnsville, is facing federal charges after allegedly swindling a California electronics manufacturer out of a staggering $1.2 million. U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced the indictment today, detailing a brazen scheme built on lies and stolen property.

According to court documents, Pham, posing as the CEO of Enterprise Products, LLC, pitched himself as a high-powered broker with connections to major players in the electronics and technology sectors. Between 2019 and 2020, he targeted an electronic manufacturing services company in San Jose, California – identified as Victim A – promising lucrative manufacturing and repair contracts. Pham wasn’t delivering deals; he was delivering deception.

The scam began to unfold in June 2019, with Pham flooding Victim A with fabricated contracts, business proposals, and correspondence, all designed to create the illusion of legitimate deals. He demanded a hefty “deposit bond” of $1,278,000 upfront, convincing Victim A to sign a contract in September 2019 that purportedly guaranteed millions in revenue for repair services. Pham repeatedly pitched other bogus agreements, dangling even larger financial carrots, but they were all smoke and mirrors.

To further the illusion, Pham shipped approximately 20 electronic devices to Victim A, claiming they were samples needing repair. He conveniently failed to mention these devices were, in fact, stolen. When Victim A rightfully inquired about the status of their money or requested a refund, Pham employed a series of excuses and empty promises, all while diverting the funds for his own unauthorized uses. The promised refundable escrow account? A phantom.

Pham now faces three counts of wire fraud. He made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court today before Magistrate Judge Douglas L. Micko. The FBI spearheaded the investigation, uncovering the layers of deceit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert and Rebecca E. Kline are prosecuting the case.

Let this be a stark reminder: an indictment is not a conviction. Pham is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. But the evidence presented paints a grim picture of calculated fraud and a callous disregard for the financial well-being of the victim. Grimy Times will continue to follow this case as it develops.

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