Maryland IT Consultant Sentenced for North Korea-Linked Fraud Scheme
Minh Phuong Ngoc Vong received a 15-month prison sentence for orchestrating a scheme that placed North Korean IT workers in US tech firms under false pretenses. The Maryland resident used forged credentials to secure positions at 13 companies, collecting nearly $1 million in wages for work actually performed by overseas collaborators.
Court documents reveal Vong conspired with a Chinese-based operative known as 'William James' to infiltrate sensitive government systems. In one brazen instance, Vong passed identity verification using legitimate Maryland documents before being assigned to an FAA contract involving national defense software.
The case highlights growing concerns about foreign adversaries exploiting remote work vulnerabilities. Prosecutors emphasized the defendant's role in facilitating access to critical infrastructure, with the FAA credentialing process apparently circumvented through sophisticated identity fraud.
