SAN JOSE — A former San Jose State University employee has been indicted in federal court on allegations he spent college funds to buy Apple laptop computers, faked the invoices, then sold the computers to line his pockets, authorities said.
Tung Pham, 59, was charged with conspiracy to transport property interstate by a federal grand jury in December, and the resulting indictment was unsealed Thursday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California and court records.
Oakland-based agents with IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI allege that between February 2017 and March 2020, Pham was a facilities and purchasing coordinator for the campus library and used his university-issued procurement card to buy at least five Apple MacBook computers costing upward of $6,000.
Pham also bought everyday office supplies, and at least one water cooler rental, and presented those invoices to his superiors. After he got the smaller purchases signed off, he is accused of “transferring his approving officials’ signatures” to the invoices for the computers so that the much larger purchases would get through the procurement process.
The investigation alleges that Pham then sold the computers on websites like Craigslist, and to an unnamed contact based in Folsom, who in turn sold the items out of state.
In response to an inquiry from this news organization, a university spokesperson confirmed that Pham was fired by San Jose State in October 2020, but otherwise did not comment on his indictment.
If convicted, Pham faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
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