FBI raids home of OC supervisor's daughter after lawsuit alleges nonprofit misused COVID funds

TUSTIN, Calif. (KABC) -- The FBI on Thursday raided a Tustin home owned by an Orange County supervisor's daughter, who was named in a lawsuit that accuses her and a nonprofit of misusing millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds.

Orange County last week sued Supervisor Andrew Do's 23-year-old daughter, Rhiannon Do, and the nonprofit she works for, Viet America Society, to recover more than $13 million.

The lawsuit alleges Rhiannon Do and Viet America Society President Peter Pham, among others, purchased six properties using COVID-19 relief funds that were intended to feed hungry seniors and build a Vietnam War Memorial.

Besides the raid on the Tustin home, federal officials executed warrants at the offices of the nonprofit. Pham's Garden Grove home was also searched.

According to the suit, Viet America Society "brazenly plundered these funds for their own personal gain. Defendants saw the opportunity and conspired to embezzle pandemic relief funds by executing contracts that they never intended to perform, instead using the funding streams as their own personal banking accounts."

Supervisor Do did not comment on the lawsuit against his daughter when pressed by Eyewitness News last Friday.

There have been growing calls for the supervisor to resign.

Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley commended authorities for carrying out the investigation.

"Federal Investigators answered our call to investigate the potential criminal activities by VAS and their principals. I continue to stand with law enforcement as they rigorously pursue the recovery of our public tax dollars from the blatant fraud and abuse by the individuals running VAS," Foley said in a statement. "The concerns raised by our County staff were clearly warranted, and I stand in support of all efforts to bring forward justice to our taxpayers."

City News Service contributed to this report.