SANTA ANA, CA - October 28: Former Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do, center, leaves the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Santa Ana, CA on Monday, October 28, 2024. Do agreed to plea guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery for his role in a scheme involving the embezzlement of millions in COVID-relief funds. He was formerly arraigned on Monday and entered a plea of not guilty. Do is expected back in court on Thursday, Oct. 31, where he would change his plea. (Photo by Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
Santa Ana, California – Andrew Do, a former Orange County Supervisor and onetime prosecutor, is set to be sentenced this morning for his role in a sweeping corruption scheme that siphoned millions from a COVID-19 relief fund intended to feed elderly and disabled residents. The sentencing, scheduled for 10 a.m. before U.S. District Judge James V. Selna in Santa Ana, could send Do to federal prison for up to five years.
The case marks a rare instance of high-level corruption in Orange County, and the first time in decades that a sitting or former supervisor has faced federal sentencing for such charges. Do pleaded guilty last fall to a single count of bribery, part of a broader conspiracy that involved misdirecting public funds, accepting kickbacks, and ultimately leaving vulnerable communities without promised meals during the height of the pandemic.
According to the facts of the case, Do quietly routed $9.3 million in emergency funds to a nonprofit organization in Huntington Beach—an entity with personal ties to his youngest daughter. Only about 15% of the money reached its intended recipients. The rest, over $8 million, was misappropriated. Federal investigators later revealed Do received over $550,000 in bribes tied to his efforts to funnel more than $10 million to the nonprofit, Viet America Society. Part of that money, including $400,000, was used by his daughter Rhiannon Do as a down payment on a home.
Rhiannon Do, then a law student at UC Irvine, avoided prosecution as part of her father’s plea deal, but admitted to federal and state-level financial crimes. She graduated last month and is preparing for the bar exam, in compliance with conditions of the agreement.
Do’s wife, Judge Cheri Pham, served in high-ranking roles in the Orange County Superior Court during the years the scheme was unfolding. Though not implicated in the federal case, her proximity to the scandal has raised ethical concerns in some legal circles.
Federal prosecutors have asked for the maximum five-year sentence, arguing that Do’s betrayal of public trust caused real harm to constituents. They highlighted his attempts to undermine accountability, including an effort to discredit the LAist investigation that helped expose the fraud. In court filings, prosecutors say Do’s actions targeted not only the integrity of public institutions, but also the individuals most in need of government assistance.
Do’s legal team has requested a reduced 33-month sentence, suggesting he was unaware of the full extent of the violations and emphasizing his recent community volunteer work. However, public records indicate Do unilaterally directed significant portions of the funds to the nonprofit—decisions made without a vote from other supervisors.
