The Tran Organization was a criminal gang of casino cheats in the 2000s. The group targeted at least 28 casinos across the United States and one in Canada. The casinos lost around $7,000,000 to the organization. As of 2011, 47 people were indicted, of which 42 had already pleaded guilty in relation to the conspiracy.[1]
Found 94 records for Phuong Truong in California. Get a complete background report of Phuong Truong at LocatePeople with phone, address, email, criminal, court and arrest records. Hung Truong in San Diego, CA 51 results - Hung Truong may also have lived outside of San Diego, such as Anaheim, San Jose and 2 other cities in California. Refine Your Search Results. Hung D Truong, 27. Resides in Everett, WA. Lived In San Diego CA.
History[edit]
Gambling scheme[edit]
The criminal enterprise started around August 2002 in San Diego, California, and included Van Thu Tran, her husband Phuong Quoc 'Pai Gao John' Truong,[2] and Tai Khiem Tran.[1] Many other members of the Tran family were also involved in the organization.[3]
The organizers had themselves been card dealers.[2] The organizers bribed card dealers and casino supervisors to do false shuffles to create 'slugs' of cards with already-seen sequences.[1] The system worked especially well with mini-baccarat, in which players are allowed to track cards openly. They later expanded to blackjack, in which the betting limits are higher but card counting is forbidden at most casinos; the group hid wireless microphones and earpieces on themselves to communicate with conspirators using computer programs to predict which cards would re-appear.[1][2]
Casinos often didn't realize they were being cheated until after the gang had already left town.[2] Some casinos, suspecting they were being cheated in an unknown way, called on government authorities.[3]
Investigation and arrests[edit]
The FBI opened a case file in 2004.[3] After Phuong Truong started shortchanging the colluding dealers out of their portion of the illegal money, some dealers became informants for the FBI.[2] In June 2006, Mississippi Gaming Commission agents posed as corrupt dealers and secretly videotaped a meeting with Truong, in which he bragged openly about the scheme and its success.[2]
The conspirators were rounded up in 2007.[1] By 2007, Truong and 46 confederates were indicted for racketeering, theft and money laundering. Truong pleaded guilty and received 70 months in prison.[4]
Phuong Truong San Diego
Tai Khiem Tran pleaded guilty to conspiracy and racketeering in 2009, but Van Thu Tran pleaded not guilty to those charges.[5] Van Thu Tran instead pleaded guilty in January 2011, and was ordered to pay $5.7 million in restitution[6] payable to several casinos. On September 28, 2012, Van Thu Tran was sentenced in San Diego to 36 months in prison for her role in the scheme, with three years of supervised release. At that point, 42 defendants had pleaded guilty to charges relating to the cheating conspiracy, admitting overall to targeting a combined total of 29 US and Canada casinos.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ abcde'Co-Founder of Casino-Cheating Criminal Enterprise Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy Targeting Casinos Across the United States' (Press release). Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. January 14, 2011. Retrieved 2014-08-08.
- ^ abcdefMcNiff, Eamon (May 25, 2012). 'Real-Life 'Ocean's 11': How Agents Foiled a $7 Million Casino Scheme'. ABC News Internet Ventures. Retrieved 2014-08-08.
- ^ abc'House of Cards: Casino Cheating Ring Dismantled' (Press release). Washington, D.C.: Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2011-02-11. Retrieved 2014-08-08.
- ^'Real-Life 'Ocean's 11': How Agents Foiled a $7 Million Casino Scheme'. ABC News. May 25, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
- ^John Wilkens (August 30, 2009). 'Busted card-cheating ring found success in simplicity'. San Diego Tribune.
- ^Steve Green (September 28, 2012). 'Woman involved in casino cheating ring sentenced to three years in prison'. Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
- ^'Co-Founder of Casino-Cheating Criminal Enterprise Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Targeting Casinos Across the United States'. US DOJ. September 28, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
External links[edit]
- 'Truong Under Surveillance' (video). CNBC LLC. — surveillance video of Phuong Truong meeting on June 8, 2006
Phuong's Background
Phuong came from a low-income background and didn't know what engineering was before coming to college. She received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees at UC San Diego and is currently pursuing her PhD. Phuong emphasized that she stayed at UC San Diego for graduate school because of the great connections and community she has built here.
During undergrad, she was involved in several organizations. She was part of Sanford Lab for Cardiac Stem Cells, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Professor Talke's Lab. All her activities helped lead Phuong to her current interest in research and obtain the diverse technical skills to accomplish her goals.
Description of Phuong's PhD Research Project
Phuong's research is geared towards helping those who have glaucoma, which is an eye condition that causes blindness due to pressure on the eye. It's currently incurable and has an unknown direct cause. Her research involves developing an eye implant that monitors the eye pressure by taking 'eye selfies' using an optical sensor. The current goals of the project include anchoring and implanting the device to the eye and ensuring that the device lasts the lifetime of the patient.
SE Techniques Utilized in Phuong's Research
Phuong says that she uses Structural Engineering knowledge such as material science, structural analysis, and finite element analysis in her project.
Material science is essential for this research because the device needs to be biostable and biocompatible with the human eye. Material science also includes conducting pressure and load testing on materials to understand how structures will react to loads and pressures.
In her research, Phuong utilizes analysis software such as Ansis, Console, and Solidworks in order to analyze her device. The software utilizes computation power to solve complex structural analysis and finite element analysis problems which are evaluated to improve her device.
Phuong Truong San Diego
Phuong noted that several departments from all over the world research the same topics from a different standpoint. Even though a Structural Engineer isn't the first thought when you think of a person for Ophthalmology research, each engineering field has a different approach on how to solve a challenge. Engineering is multidisciplinary and can be applied to all types of practices.
What is Engineering?
Phuong Trang Restaurant San Diego
Phuong notes that all the engineering is the same and utilize the fundamental physics concepts, but the context of analysis is different.
Phuong's Key Point for Engineers: It is not about background, but your analytical skills and ability to systematically and practically solve problems. This involves having strong literature skills.
What is Structural Engineering?
Phuong Truong San Diego Airport Parking
Phuong Troung says Structural Engineering is the application of design of structures, where the word 'structures' can mean anything. For instance, Structural Engineering can include Biomedical topics such as Patient Ophthalmology in Phuong's current research.
Phuong Truong San Diego Ca
Why Phuong Chose UC San Diego for Engineering
The FBI opened a case file in 2004.[3] After Phuong Truong started shortchanging the colluding dealers out of their portion of the illegal money, some dealers became informants for the FBI.[2] In June 2006, Mississippi Gaming Commission agents posed as corrupt dealers and secretly videotaped a meeting with Truong, in which he bragged openly about the scheme and its success.[2]
The conspirators were rounded up in 2007.[1] By 2007, Truong and 46 confederates were indicted for racketeering, theft and money laundering. Truong pleaded guilty and received 70 months in prison.[4]
Phuong Truong San Diego
Tai Khiem Tran pleaded guilty to conspiracy and racketeering in 2009, but Van Thu Tran pleaded not guilty to those charges.[5] Van Thu Tran instead pleaded guilty in January 2011, and was ordered to pay $5.7 million in restitution[6] payable to several casinos. On September 28, 2012, Van Thu Tran was sentenced in San Diego to 36 months in prison for her role in the scheme, with three years of supervised release. At that point, 42 defendants had pleaded guilty to charges relating to the cheating conspiracy, admitting overall to targeting a combined total of 29 US and Canada casinos.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ abcde'Co-Founder of Casino-Cheating Criminal Enterprise Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy Targeting Casinos Across the United States' (Press release). Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. January 14, 2011. Retrieved 2014-08-08.
- ^ abcdefMcNiff, Eamon (May 25, 2012). 'Real-Life 'Ocean's 11': How Agents Foiled a $7 Million Casino Scheme'. ABC News Internet Ventures. Retrieved 2014-08-08.
- ^ abc'House of Cards: Casino Cheating Ring Dismantled' (Press release). Washington, D.C.: Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2011-02-11. Retrieved 2014-08-08.
- ^'Real-Life 'Ocean's 11': How Agents Foiled a $7 Million Casino Scheme'. ABC News. May 25, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
- ^John Wilkens (August 30, 2009). 'Busted card-cheating ring found success in simplicity'. San Diego Tribune.
- ^Steve Green (September 28, 2012). 'Woman involved in casino cheating ring sentenced to three years in prison'. Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
- ^'Co-Founder of Casino-Cheating Criminal Enterprise Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Targeting Casinos Across the United States'. US DOJ. September 28, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
External links[edit]
- 'Truong Under Surveillance' (video). CNBC LLC. — surveillance video of Phuong Truong meeting on June 8, 2006
Phuong's Background
Phuong came from a low-income background and didn't know what engineering was before coming to college. She received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees at UC San Diego and is currently pursuing her PhD. Phuong emphasized that she stayed at UC San Diego for graduate school because of the great connections and community she has built here.
During undergrad, she was involved in several organizations. She was part of Sanford Lab for Cardiac Stem Cells, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Professor Talke's Lab. All her activities helped lead Phuong to her current interest in research and obtain the diverse technical skills to accomplish her goals.
Description of Phuong's PhD Research Project
Phuong's research is geared towards helping those who have glaucoma, which is an eye condition that causes blindness due to pressure on the eye. It's currently incurable and has an unknown direct cause. Her research involves developing an eye implant that monitors the eye pressure by taking 'eye selfies' using an optical sensor. The current goals of the project include anchoring and implanting the device to the eye and ensuring that the device lasts the lifetime of the patient.
SE Techniques Utilized in Phuong's Research
Phuong says that she uses Structural Engineering knowledge such as material science, structural analysis, and finite element analysis in her project.
Material science is essential for this research because the device needs to be biostable and biocompatible with the human eye. Material science also includes conducting pressure and load testing on materials to understand how structures will react to loads and pressures.
In her research, Phuong utilizes analysis software such as Ansis, Console, and Solidworks in order to analyze her device. The software utilizes computation power to solve complex structural analysis and finite element analysis problems which are evaluated to improve her device.
Phuong Truong San Diego
Phuong noted that several departments from all over the world research the same topics from a different standpoint. Even though a Structural Engineer isn't the first thought when you think of a person for Ophthalmology research, each engineering field has a different approach on how to solve a challenge. Engineering is multidisciplinary and can be applied to all types of practices.
What is Engineering?
Phuong Trang Restaurant San Diego
Phuong notes that all the engineering is the same and utilize the fundamental physics concepts, but the context of analysis is different.
Phuong's Key Point for Engineers: It is not about background, but your analytical skills and ability to systematically and practically solve problems. This involves having strong literature skills.
What is Structural Engineering?
Phuong Truong San Diego Airport Parking
Phuong Troung says Structural Engineering is the application of design of structures, where the word 'structures' can mean anything. For instance, Structural Engineering can include Biomedical topics such as Patient Ophthalmology in Phuong's current research.
Phuong Truong San Diego Ca
Why Phuong Chose UC San Diego for Engineering
Phuong believes that UC San Diego has limitless growth and improvement for students. The university has many opportunities that allow students to expand on their areas of interest, such as teaching and research opportunities with faculty and an immense selection of student organizations with design competitions. San Diego is also a main hub for many biotech companies and similar industries, so UC San Diego's involvement and partnerships with surrounding engineering companies made this an ideal university for Phuong to expand on her interests with a PhD in the medical technology field.
