A Burnsville man faces three counts of wire fraud after allegedly swindling $1.2 million from an electronics manufacturer, as per U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger's office. Thomas Thanh Pham is accused of concocting a fraudulent scheme that led a San Jose-based company into paying a substantial deposit bond for services that were never genuinely intended to be fulfilled. The indictment, which was publicized on June 27th, marks a significant turn in a case that unfolded between 2019 and 2020.

Court documents unearthed by the Department of Justice reveal that Pham, CEO of Enterprise Products LLC, misrepresented his company as a consulting and financial affiliate with connections to prominent tech industry players. He convinced the victim, a Californian electronic manufacturing services provider referred to as Victim A, that his connections could lead to lucrative contracts. To secure these purported deals, Pham demanded and received a "deposit bond" of $1,278,000 from Victim A, under the pretense of forging a partnership that would have supposedly resulted in millions in profit for the San Jose company.

In order to advance the charade, Pham had an initial shipment of electronic devices sent to the victim, claiming they needed repair under the supposed contract. However, unbeknownst to Victim A, these devices were not samples for legitimate business but stolen property. Pham kept up a facade of promises and excuses when confronted about the promised services or refunds, all the while funneling the electronic manufacturer's money into unauthorized transactions.

The investigation, spearheaded by the FBI, led to Pham's indictment on three counts of wire fraud. During his initial court appearance, he stood before U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas L. Micko. While an indictment does not equate to guilt, and Pham remains innocent until possibly proven guilty, the charges hang heavy over the head of the man who once professed to be a bridge to the giants of Silicon Valley for smaller players in the industry.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert and Rebecca E. Kline are handling the prosecution of the case.