Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson has recently revealed that Phoebe Trinh, also known as Phuong Trinh Ngoc Vo, aged 31 and residing in Kapolei, Hawaii, has been indicted on multiple charges. A federal grand jury returned a twelve-count indictment against Trinh on January 23, 2025. The charges include nine counts of wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft. These charges are related to Trinh’s involvement in fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance and pandemic unemployment assistance.
The indictment includes charges related to both the unemployment insurance and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) programs. Back in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and many workers were left without jobs, the CARES Act was enacted to provide emergency unemployment payments. However, there were certain workers who did not qualify for traditional state unemployment insurance benefits, and that’s when the PUA program was introduced to help them.
Trinh is accused of submitting a fraudulent claim for unemployment insurance benefits to the Hawaii Department of Industrial and Labor Relations (DLIR) through their website. The indictment states that Trinh repeatedly made false certifications, declaring that she was unemployed and not earning any income, even though she knew these claims were untrue. This was done in order for Trinh to receive benefit payments that she was not eligible for.
According to the indictment, Trinh is accused of submitting a claim to the Hawaii DLIR for PUA benefits on behalf of another person, using their personal information without their permission. Trinh allegedly did this to obtain additional benefit payments that she was not entitled to. Furthermore, Trinh is said to have repeatedly certified to the Hawaii DLIR that the individual was still eligible for PUA payments, without their knowledge or consent. The indictment also claims that Trinh instructed the Hawaii DLIR to deposit the benefit payments meant for the individual into her own bank account.
Trinh is accused of fraudulently acquiring around $36,265 in unemployment insurance and PUA unemployment benefits that she was not entitled to, according to the indictment.
The wire fraud counts can result in a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000. Similarly, the aggravated identity theft counts carry a two-year prison sentence. It is important to note that an indictment is only an accusation, and the defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Attorney General took action on May 17, 2021, by establishing the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force. This task force brings together the Department of Justice and various government agencies to strengthen the fight against pandemic-related fraud. By working in partnership, the task force aims to improve the investigation and prosecution of both domestic and international criminals involved in fraudulent activities. Additionally, it supports relief program administrators in preventing fraud by incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing valuable information from previous enforcement efforts. For more information about the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit their website at https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
If you have any information regarding attempts to commit fraud related to COVID-19, you can report it to the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at 866-720-5721. Alternatively, you can submit your report online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm.
The U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General is currently investigating this case, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Paris Yates is handling the prosecution.
