Wanted fugitive still impersonates Security Investigation Colonel to trick many people into making red books
While on the run, Pham Van Thao (born 1991), a subject with 3 previous convictions for "Theft of property", used a fake police ID card under the name Le Nhat Phong, impersonating a police officer to commit fraud and appropriate property.
On July 21, the Department of Security Investigation (DIS), Ministry of Public Security, announced that it had completed the investigation conclusion and transferred the case file to the Supreme People's Procuracy to propose prosecuting Pham Van Thao (registered residence in Tay Yen A commune, An Bien district, Kien Giang province, now Hai Tot hamlet, Tay Yen commune, An Giang province), on two charges including "Using fake documents of agencies and organizations" and "Fraudulent appropriation of property".
The case originated from the fact that the Investigation Security Agency, Ministry of Public Security received information about a subject named Le Nhat Phong, who claimed to be "Colonel, Deputy Director of the Investigation Security Agency of the Ministry of Public Security" to defraud many individuals in several southern provinces. While the Investigation Security Agency, Ministry of Public Security was receiving the information, a day later (February 21), the unit received information from the Investigation Security Agency of Lam Dong Provincial Police about the above subject...
Through screening, the investigators determined that Phong's real name is Pham Van Thao; the subject is currently on the run at 2A Hoang Van Thu, Ward 5, Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province. Based on the collected documents, on February 25, the Investigation Security Agency, Ministry of Public Security issued a decision to prosecute the case and prosecute Thao for the crimes of "Using fake documents of agencies and organizations" and "Fraudulent appropriation of property" to investigate and clarify.
The investigation determined that during the time of detention awaiting execution of two sentences with a total sentence of 30 months in prison for the crime of "Theft of property" (September 2015), Thao suffered from a disease that made his legs weak and unable to walk. Therefore, the People's Court of Rach Gia City, Kien Giang Province issued Decision No. 2/2015/QDCA replacing the preventive measure of detention with a measure of family bail for medical treatment. Around June 2016, when he was cured, the defendant did not present himself to the local authorities of his place of residence and receive the decision to execute the sentence (30 months in prison) but fled the locality and was wanted by the Criminal Enforcement Agency of Kien Giang Province.
While on the run, Thao used Facebook to order a fake ID card under the name Le Nhat Phong for use. According to Thao's statement to the Investigation Security Agency, the subject used his personal phone to take pictures and send them to a Facebook account that advertised making fake documents.
During his time on the run from arrest, from March 2019 to February 2020, Thao went to Quang Son commune, Dak Glong district, Dak Nong province (now Quang Son commune, Lam Dong province) to rent a house from Ms. H' Yong to stay and work. During his time here, Thao used the fake name Le Nhat Phong, claiming to be a police officer on duty, with many relationships with the authorities. After that, the subject contacted and got to know a number of households and learned that these people needed to make land use right certificates (LURCs) for long-reclaimed land... Therefore, Thao came up with the idea of defrauding by organizing a meeting with people at the house of Ms. Duong Thi Khoa (girlfriend of the accused Pham Van Thao) in Quang Son commune; asking those who wanted to make LURCs to give money to the accused to contact the authorities to do the procedure; each LURC had to pay Thao 30 million VND.
To create trust among the people, Thao bought a fake certificate of house ownership and other assets attached to land in the name of Le Nhat Phong, born on June 15, 1979, ID number: 025700272, code CK 168994 issued by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City on the Internet. Then, the subject showed it to the victims to prove that the defendant was capable of making a land use rights certificate.
Because they believed that Thao was a police officer and could make land documents, Mr. K' Lieng, Ms. H' Lang, Mr. K' Kril, Ms. Duong Thi Khoa, Ms. H' Lang, Mr. K' Ly and Mr. Luu Van Hung (residing in Quang Son commune) gave the defendant more than 272 million VND to contact the authorities to make a land use right certificate for the area of land reclaimed for many years.
After receiving the money from the victims, Thao fled from Quang Hop village, Quang Son commune, Dak Giong district, Dak Nong province (now Quang Son commune). When discovering that Thao had fled and not paid the money, the victims filed a report to the Dak Glong District Police Department, accusing Le Nhat Phong, born in 1979 (the defendant used a fake name and year of birth) of "Fraudulent appropriation of property".
During the investigation, the Ministry of Public Security's Investigation Security Agency also clarified that, in September 2023, Thao continued to go on Facebook to buy fake citizen identification cards (CCCD), driver's licenses, CAND identification cards, CAND accessories, QĐND, etc. Then, through the messenger messaging application, the suspect provided information, took and sent pictures of himself to order fake documents. Accordingly, the subject bought a total of 2 fake CCCDs, 1 fake CAND identification card and CAND uniform for 2.5 million VND.
When agencies, organizations and individuals discover acts of impersonating or forging police officers to commit illegal acts, they must immediately report to the nearest police agency for timely handling.