Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TONY TUAN PHAM, also known as “Anh Nguyen”, 52, of Grand Rapids, Mich., Was sentenced today by judge U.S. District Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 72 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for training federal inmates and potential inmates, who would otherwise not need drug treatment, How to Lie for admission to a Federal Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”) program which, if successful, would result in a reduction in the prison sentence.
According to court documents and court statements, the Residential Substance Abuse Program (“RDAP”) is a 500-hour drug treatment program that is administered by the BOP. In order to be admitted to the RDAP, a federal inmate must meet certain criteria, including having a diagnosable and verifiable drug or alcohol abuse disorder. By successfully completing the RDAP, an inmate may be granted early release for up to 12 months.
Pham was a “managing partner” of Michigan-based RDAP Law Consultants, LLC. Pham and others he supervised at RDAP Law Consultants reached out to accused and federal detainees through unsolicited emails and phone calls with offers to help, for a fee, these individuals to apply and qualify for the RDAP. While Pham knows that many of the company’s clients do not abuse alcohol or drugs and are not eligible for RDAP, he has taught them to fake or exaggerate a drug or drug disorder. alcohol and making false declarations to the BOP so that they can be admitted to the RDAP.
Between September 2012 and January 2019, RDAP Law Consultants earned at least $ 2,628,137 in client fees through this program.
Pham had recently been released from federal prison and was living in a residential rehabilitation center (“halfway house”) when the program began.
Pham was arrested on January 23, 2019. On December 4, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of wire fraud.
Pham, who is released on $ 100,000 bail, is due to report to jail on January 14, 2022.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case was continued by US Deputy Prosecutor Jonathan N. Francis and Trial Prosecutor Avi Perry of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section.
Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of West Virginia and Western District of Michigan for their assistance in this case.
