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Prisoner Law Consultant in Michigan Pleads Guilty to Defrauding BOP

Loaded on Aug. 1, 2020 by David Reutter published in Prison Legal News August, 2020, page 32
Filed under: Restrictions on Consultation Rights, Drug Testing/Treatment Programs. Location: Michigan.

by David M. Reutter

A guilty plea to conspiracy and wire fraud charges was entered in a Michigan federal district court on December 4, 2019, by Tony Tuan Pham, also known as Anh Nguyen, in his role of coaching prospective and current federal prisoners on how to qualify for the Residential Drug Abuse Program, a 500-hour residential substance abuse program, and receive a shortened sentence.

Pham, 50, a “Managing Partner” at Michigan-based RDAP Law Consultants, and those he supervised contacted federal criminal defendants and prisoners through unsolicited emails and telephone calls to assist them, for a fee, to qualify for the RDAP.

Despite knowing many of the clients did not abuse drugs or alcohol and were ineligible for the program, Pham coached them on how to feign or exaggerate a drug or alcohol disorder to gain entry to the program, which allows prisoners to qualify for up to 12 months early release.

The scheme earned RDAP Law Consultants $2,628,137 in client fees from September 2102 through January 2019. When the scheme began, Pham was living in a residential reentry center.

Pham was originally supposed to be sentenced in March 2020, but that was suspended until at least August. 

 

Source: justice.gov

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