Vietnamese national pleads guilty in New York to laundering $67 million in identity theft scheme

A Vietnamese national pleaded guilty before a New York court to conspiracy to commit identity theft as part of a transnational scheme to launder $67 million using data stolen from U.S. citizens, according to a statement from the Department of Justice.

Le Van Hung, a permanent U.S. resident, was extradited from South Korea in November 2024 to stand trial for his role in the scheme that involved the stolen identities of thousands of U.S. residents and benefited a New York-based multinational media company.

As part of his plea, Le Van Hung agreed to forfeit at least $67 million. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 29, 2026. He could get maximum five years in prison.