Minh Phuong Ngoc Vong, a resident of Bowie, Maryland, has admitted to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The plea agreement outlines that Vong, aged 40, partnered with unidentified persons, including John Doe, also known as William James, a foreign national residing in Shenyang, China, to deceive U.S. companies into hiring Vong as a remote software developer. Vong obtained jobs by making false claims about his qualifications and then allowed Doe and others to use his credentials to perform the work and take the payment.
In January 2023, Doe impersonated Vong by submitting a fraudulent resume to a technology company based in Virginia. The resume falsely stated that Vong had 16 years of software development experience and a bachelor’s degree. In reality, he lacked both the degree and any experience in the field.
During a March 2023 job interview, Vong used his Maryland driver’s license and U.S. passport to verify his identity and citizenship. Subsequently, he was employed by the Virginia company and assigned to work on a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) project concerning a critical software application. The company issued Vong a laptop, and the FAA authorized him a Personal Identity Verification card for facility access, which he used to install remote access software, enabling Doe’s participation from China.
From March to July 2023, Doe utilized Vong’s credentials from abroad, earning Vong over $28,000 from the Virginia company, part of which he then transferred to Doe and other co-conspirators.
Vong acknowledged defrauding more than 13 U.S. companies from 2021 to 2024, resulting in over $970,000 in salary payments for work done by foreign conspirators. Some of these companies contracted the work to U.S. government agencies, providing unauthorized access to sensitive systems.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes and FBI Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno announced the plea. Hayes remarked, "Mr. Vong put the United States and its citizens in harm’s way by plotting and engaging in this fraudulent scheme. His actions gave unauthorized people access to sensitive U.S. Government systems and national-defense matters. As this prosecution demonstrates, we work hard every day with our law-enforcement partners to ensure that we’re keeping our citizens and our nation safe."
DelBagno added, “The FBI is warning about an increase in these fraud schemes affecting businesses and organizations around the world. Criminals pose as software workers to illegally access networks, stealing data and sensitive information. Furthermore, the money criminals are paid for their ‘work’, often benefits foreign adversaries. The FBI strongly urges organizations to closely monitor their data, strengthen their remote hiring processes and report any suspicious activity or fraud to the FBI.”
The investigation was heavily supported by the FBI, with key prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina A. Hoffman and assistance from Alexandra Cooper-Ponte of the National Security Cyber Section. The operation is part of the DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative launched in March 2024 by the National Security Division and FBI, targeting “laptop farms.”
Further successful interventions were conducted in October 2023, May, August, December 2024, and January 2025. For more details about this initiative and resources, visit the website of the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office.