Maryland Man Sentenced for Assisting North Korea in Infiltrating U.S. Tech Firms
Minh Phuong Ngoc Vong, 40, of Maryland, was sentenced to 15 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in helping North Korea place information technology workers in U.S. tech companies between 2021 and 2024. Vong used false credentials to obtain at least 13 software development jobs in the United States, receiving over $970,000 from employers for work that was performed remotely by overseas co-conspirators, including a North Korean national known as "John Doe." Some of these assignments involved U.S. government contracts, including projects for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which provided access to sensitive government systems from China.
Vong collaborated with a North Korean national based in Shenyang, China. Under Vong’s name, Doe submitted job applications containing a false bachelor's degree and claimed 16 years of software development experience. In at least one instance, the applicant pursued a role requiring U.S. citizenship at a Virginia company. After securing those positions, Vong provided his credentials to the foreign workers who conducted the work remotely. Doe earned more than $28,000 from this scheme, part of which was transferred overseas, enabling access to sensitive national defense information.
Vong pleaded guilty on January 30, 2023. This case is part of a broader infiltration campaign by North Korea, including other charges leveled against North Korean nationals and facilitators in January, a December 2024 indictment of 14 North Korean nationals, and a July case involving identity theft related to employment of North Korean workers. North Korean hacking groups have reportedly stolen over $2 billion in 2025, pushing the total value of North Korea-related cybercrime beyond $6 billion.
The FBI's Counterintelligence Division has noted that North Korean IT workers posing as U.S. citizens are used to help fund weapons programs. They have urged U.S. companies with remote employees to remain vigilant against these threats.
