FBI raids house bought by OC Supervisor Andrew Do’s daughter in alleged fraud scheme
By Nick Gerda and Jill Replogle
Updated Aug 22, 2024 2:42 PM
Published Aug 22, 2024 11:00 AM

Law enforcement at a house purchased by Rhiannon Do in Tustin.


Federal agents with the FBI and IRS raided multiple properties in Orange County on Thursday connected to an LAist investigation into millions of tax dollars that have gone unaccounted for, including a Tustin home purchased last year by O.C. Supervisor Andrew Do’s 23 year-old daughter Rhiannon Do.
She and others involved with the nonprofit Viet America Society (VAS) were sued for fraud by the county last week, after months of investigative stories by LAist looking into what happened to money Supervisor Do quietly directed to the group outside public view.
Spokespeople for the FBI and IRS Criminal Division confirmed their agencies were executing search warrants at Rhiannon Do’s Tustin home and a Garden Grove home that public records show is owned by Peter Pham, the founder of VAS.
Both are among those accused in the county’s lawsuit of a fraud scheme to divert funds intended to feed needy seniors and build a war memorial, to instead pay for million-dollar homes and improvements to the homes.

A spokesperson for the federal prosecutor’s office said the search warrants are part of an investigation involving the FBI, IRS Criminal Division and Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

The raid of Rhiannon Do’s home in Tustin

An LAist reporter saw at least six law enforcement officers outside Rhiannon Do’s home and around the front doorway Thursday morning.
FBI spokesperson Laura Eimiller said she couldn’t comment further, because the “affidavit supporting the warrant has been sealed by the court.” She said no arrests were planned.
Around 11:20 a.m., an LAist reporter at the scene overheard a law enforcement agent say Rhiannon Do was inside the home. Law enforcement officers were inside at the time as well. A neighbor told LAist that he saw Rhiannon Do come in with the agents when they first entered the house earlier this morning.
The IRS’ criminal division also is involved. Most of the agents observed by LAist wore black shirts with "POLICE IRS-CI" printed on the back. An LAist reporter also overheard an agent telling a private investigator that they were with IRS' criminal investigation division.
An IRS spokesperson told LAist Thursday morning that they were looking into whether their agency is involved. It wasn’t immediately clear whether other law enforcement agencies were present as well. LAist has reached out to other agencies, including the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, for comment.
Rhiannon Do purchased the home last year for $1.035 million, according to Zillow and real estate records reviewed by LAist.
Larry Thomas, who lives next door to the house, told LAist around 9:45 a.m. that officers were standing guard outside. He said he was hearing what he described as “slamming and quite a bit of noise” from inside the house.
A photo obtained by LAist shows what appears to be an evidence marker in front of a small structure on the property. The white rectangular sign states “ROOM P.” An LAist reporter overheard an agent next to the home say, "Remember, you’re looking for documents.” An agent also noted finding a large amount of Christmas decorations.

Shortly before 1:30 p.m., an agent exited the house with two large rectangular boxes and drove away.

Law enforcement near the house Rhiannon Do purchased.


Supervisor Do and Rhiannon Do have been in and out of the house in recent days, Thomas told LAist on Wednesday. Rhiannon in particular, he said, has been in and out of the house more in the last 48 hours than in the year-plus since buying it, he told LAist.

Farzin Noohi, a private investigator, who said he was working with Rhiannon Do's lawyer speaks to law enforcement.


Earlier this week, Thomas told LAist that there have been no signs anyone ever moved into the home, in the year or so since Rhiannon Do bought it.
He said that in the first few months after the purchase, a significant amount of work appeared to be done on the house, including the sound of electric saws.
“You could hear, every day, hammers and saws and heavy equipment,” Thomas said.

The backstory

LAist revealed last December that the nonprofit, Viet America Society, had failed to account for what happened with millions of dollars in taxpayer money Do had provided the group.
In response to LAist’s questions in April about the nonprofit’s funding and the home purchase, Rhiannon Do did not answer if any county funds provided to her nonprofit were used to purchase the home. She denied that anything improper took place and said she worked hard for her home.


Rhiannon Do in a YouTube video posted in August 2021 by the Steinberg Institute where she was an intern.


After the county gave the nonprofit months of opportunities this year to provide required proof, it ended up filing a lawsuit last week alleging a sweeping fraud scheme to divert money that was meant to feed vulnerable seniors during the pandemic. Among the county’s allegations are that funding was illegally diverted to buying multiple homes, including Rhiannon Do’s home in Tustin.
Supervisor Do has not responded to LAist’s requests for comment over the last nine months. He has denied any wrongdoing in interviews with other media. State law does not require the disclosure of his family tie to the nonprofit he funded with taxpayer money. The state Legislature is advancing a bill that would change that.
Supervisor Do and Rhiannon Do have not returned phone messages for comment on the raid.

Catch up on the investigation

In November 2023, LAist began investigating how millions in public taxpayer dollars were spent. In total, LAist has uncovered over $13 million in public money was approved to a little-known nonprofit that records state was led on and off by Rhiannon Do, the now 23-year-old daughter of Supervisor Do. Most of that money was directed to the group by Supervisor Do outside of the public’s view and never appeared on public meeting agendas. He did not publicly disclose his family ties.

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