San Jose priest faces bank fraud, tax evasion charges

By Kale Williams
SFGate
April 20, 2015

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/San-Jose-priest-faces-bank-fraud-tax-evasion-6212709.php

A priest with the Archdiocese of San Jose was indicted by a federal grand jury on tax evasion and bank fraud charges after he allegedly deposited donation checks from parishioners into his own bank and failed to declare more than $1 million of income to the Internal Revenue Service, prosecutors said Monday.

Hien Minh Nguyen, 55, worked as a priest with the diocese for more than 20 years, said U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesman Abraham Simmons. He held multiple positions, including Director of the Vietnamese Catholic Center, for which he had sole signature authority of the center’s bank, Simmons said.

Between 2005 and 2008, Nguyen requested that parishioners make donations to the center, but then deposited at least 14 checks, totaling $19,000, directly into his personal account, Simmons said.

The indictment also accuses Nguyen of failing to report $1.1 million of income to the IRS between 2008 and 2011, according to court documents.

Nguyen has been on personal leave since December 2013, said Liz Sullivan, a spokeswoman for the diocese.

“The Diocese has been cooperating with an ongoing criminal investigation by the Internal Revenue Service into the conduct of Monsignor Hien Minh Nguyen since October of 2012,” said Bishop Patrick J. McGrath. “Any facts in the matter are the part of the investigation, and only the IRS has the authority to make disclosures at a time of its choosing. At the request of the IRS, we have had minimal direct communication with Monsignor Hien.”

Nguyen was arrested Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and made his first court appearance Monday morning facing 14 charges of bank fraud and four counts of tax evasion. He is due back in court April 21 and could face as much as 35 years in prison if convicted, Simmons said.