A former Orange County supervisor, Andrew Hoang Do, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for accepting over $550,000 in bribes. These payments were made in exchange for his support of directing more than $10 million in COVID-19 relief funds to a charity associated with his daughter. United States District Judge James V. Selna delivered the sentence and set a restitution hearing for August 11.
Do, aged 62 and from Santa Ana, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli stated that “elected officials have a sworn duty to put their constituents’ interests ahead of their own,” highlighting that public money meant for pandemic victims was misused by Do and others involved.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer criticized Do’s actions, saying he “transformed the County of Orange into an ATM available to his insiders.” He emphasized ongoing efforts with federal partners to hold accountable those involved in this conspiracy and return the stolen funds.
FBI Assistant Director Akil Davis commented on the case, stating that “Mr. Do abused his powerful position as a county supervisor” for personal gain at the expense of those needing honest leadership.
From February 2015 until October 2024, Do served on the Orange County Board of Supervisors. In this role, he represented several cities and oversaw a significant budget. Beginning in 2020, he accepted bribes in exchange for allocating millions in COVID-related funds to Viet America Society (VAS), a charity linked to his daughter.
Court documents revealed how VAS redirected funds intended for community support into various accounts and payments benefiting Do’s family. The scheme included payments through companies identified only by numbers, which subsequently funneled money back to Do’s daughter and other parties involved.
As part of the legal proceedings, assets connected to the bribery scheme were forfeited by Do and his daughter. This included real estate acquired using illicit funds. Additionally, more than $2.4 million was seized from bank accounts tied to VAS and related entities.
The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies including the FBI; Orange County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation; Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s Office of Inspector General; IRS Criminal Investigation; and U.S Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General.
Prosecution is being handled jointly by both federal prosecutors from the United States Attorney’s Office and state prosecutors from OCDA. Public information about corruption can be reported via FBI channels provided at https://tips.fbi.gov or through contact with their Los Angeles Field Office.
