Court documents have identified a California woman as being involved in the 2022 scam that bilked Kosciusko County out of more than $300,000.
Thay Thi Nguyen, 71, of Sacramento, Calif., faces one count of level 5 felony theft.
On July 11, 2023, Indiana State Police Det. R. Hovarter received information that Kosciusko County Government (KCG) was defrauded and experienced a loss of $313,951.90.
On April 7, 2022, an unknown suspect posed as a representative from J & K Communications that requested KCG payment for invoices via Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfers. The suspect provided ACH transfer information to a JP Morgan Chase Bank account in the name of Thay Thi Nguyen - J & K Communication Inc., court documents filed in June state.
On April 26, 2022, payment was sent from KCG to the fraudulent J & K Communication JP Chase Morgan Bank account regarding payment for the invoice(s) totaling $313,951.90.
On April 29, 2022, KCG was alerted that the payment was made to a fraudulent account.
JP Morgan Chase Bank account records indicated the account was opened by Nguyen. The records showed the deposit on April 26, 2022, into the JP Morgan Chase Bank account from “Treasurer of Kos Payables” (KCG).
The bank records also showed on April 27, 2022, that $2,000 was sent via Consumer Online Wire to Advanced Bank of Asia Limited Phnom Penh Cambodia; $20,000 was transferred via Online Domestic Wire Transfer to Nguyen; and $293,000 was withdrawn from the account by Nguyen.
On Sept. 14, 2023, Sacramento County District Criminal Investigator A. Fucles spoke with Nguyen, who confirmed the JP Morgan Chase Bank account belonged to her and that she closed the account in June 2022 because “they bothered” her and asked her too many questions about her transactions.
Nguyen verified she received $313,951.90 from KCG because “they” wanted her help. Nguyen understood KCG was a government entity, according to court documents, but thought it was a store. Nguyen received a call from “the company” (KCG) who said “they” owed someone and she was to send money to “them.”
Court documents also state that Nguyen admitted she transferred $20,000 to her Bank of America account because JP Morgan Chase Bank “bothered” her about account transactions.
She further admitted she completed an e-withdrawal for $293,000, moved the money to Bank of America and then sent the money internationally to someone she owed money to and she does not have that money anymore.
Nguyen said she helped “them” but did not get “nothing” and clarified she was the only person that had access to her bank account and no other person used her account to transfer funds.

Nguyen's bond was fixed at $50,000 surety and $100,000 cash bond.
The county’s insurance carrier and police were notified after the fraud was realized in 2022. New rules were put into place to safeguard from any potential future scam.