ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A 55-year-old California man admitted in federal court today that he posed as a licensed attorney for over four years to steal insurance settlements from immigrant car accident victims across Northern Virginia. Tuan Duc Nguyen, of Garden Grove, systematically defrauded vulnerable individuals by falsely promising legal representation and then vanishing with their money.
Court documents reveal Nguyen never attended law school, passed no bar exam, and held no legal credentials. Yet he routinely approached victims of traffic collisions — many of whom had limited English proficiency — and claimed he could secure insurance payouts on their behalf. Once victims signed over claims, Nguyen submitted fraudulent documentation to insurers, listing himself as counsel and providing fake addresses to intercept settlement checks.
Nguyen didn’t just mislead insurance companies — he weaponized silence. While telling victims negotiations were still underway, he had already collected settlements in full. Using forged signatures and falsified records, he rerouted funds directly to himself. Some victims waited months, even years, for money that had already been paid out — and stolen — by Nguyen.
On Monday, Nguyen pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady to two counts: mail fraud and wire fraud. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for September 6. While federal judges typically impose sentences below the statutory maximum, the court will weigh the extent of Nguyen’s deception, the number of victims, and the totality of losses when determining his punishment.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, announced the guilty plea. The prosecution was led by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Dober and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kellen S. Dwyer, who built the case using insurance records, bank transactions, and victim testimony.
Court records, including the criminal indictment and plea agreement, are publicly available through the Eastern District of Virginia’s U.S. District Court website and PACER under Case No. 1:18-cr-329. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has posted a full press release detailing the investigation on its official site.
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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