SOUDERTON, Pa. — A second person has been arrested in connection with an alleged travel scam that authorities say affected customers across the country, including numerous members of the Vietnamese community.
Hien Thanh Nguyen, of Souderton, Montgomery County, has been charged with theft by deception, theft by failing to make required disposition of funds received, and deceptive business practices.
Nguyen is accused of operating a Souderton-based travel agency with her son, William Nguyen. The business reportedly operated under several names, including Xuat Canh My.
Customers allege the agency accepted thousands of dollars for airline tickets, visas and other travel-related services that were either not fully provided or never provided.
Authorities say some customers traveled from several states to attend court proceedings connected to the case. Alleged victims have been identified from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Mississippi, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Florida and Michigan.
William Nguyen was previously charged with stealing more than $50,000 from at least a dozen customers who paid for travel arrangements to Vietnam that allegedly never materialized. He waived his preliminary hearing in May and pleaded not guilty to charges that include theft by deception and deceptive business practices.
According to the criminal complaint, Hien Thanh Nguyen allegedly communicated with customers while payments were sometimes made to William Nguyen through personal checks and electronic payment services.
One family reportedly paid more than $17,000 for visas and round-trip flights to Vietnam but said the trip never occurred. Another customer said she paid approximately $3,000 for airline tickets that were never provided.
Hien Thanh Nguyen’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, July 15.
The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office says the investigation remains active and believes additional victims may not yet have come forward.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court
