22 events · R v Nguyen · NSW District Court 2025
First of 47 unauthorised transfers from client trust accounts totalling $480,000 over 22 months
Nguyen increases transaction frequency following departure of Senior Partner who previously reviewed disbursements
External auditor BDO Australia identifies $187,400 in disbursements with no corresponding counsel receipts or court invoices
Firm reports suspected trust account fraud under mandatory reporting obligations — Law Society opens file LS-2024-0089
Detective Sergeant Priya Mehta (Financial Crimes Squad) assigned as OIC — investigation designated E2024/0447
Bank records confirm $480,240 transferred to shell company accounts controlled by Nguyen across 47 transactions
Police seize laptops, phones, financial documents, and $28,400 cash from residential search
Nguyen arrested at Chatswood Police Station, charged on Court Attendance Notice — refused bail by police
Bail application adjourned to 14 March — Legal Aid NSW duty solicitor appears — charge details read
Magistrate Obi grants bail with conditions: $250,000 surety (parents), surrender passport, report daily, reside at Chatswood address, not approach Pinnacle Legal Partners premises
Defence elects for committal hearing — brief served by prosecution — hearing listed for 22 July 2024
Defence cross-examines SC Park on 3 disputed transactions totalling $41,200 — Park maintains methodology is sound
Magistrate Browning finds prima facie case established on all counts — committed to District Court
Nguyen arraigned before Her Honour Judge P. Reilly — pleads not guilty to all 3 counts — trial listed for 3 March 2025
Defence objects to admissibility of LEAP audit logs on chain of custody grounds — Crown to respond by 20 December 2024
Crown and defence agree on 31 of 47 transactions as fraudulent — 16 transactions (totalling $89,300) remain contested
Crown opens to jury — case framed around Nguyen's exclusive access, shell company structure, and pattern of cash withdrawals
Crown calls 11 witnesses over 7 days — Judge Reilly rejects s137 objections to LEAP logs — all 14 audit records admitted
Nguyen denies knowledge of shell companies — claims Linh Tran (de facto partner) handled his personal finances — Crown puts 31 agreed transactions to him directly
Crown: 'The evidence is overwhelming — 47 transactions, shell companies, cash, forged signatures.' Defence: 'Reasonable doubt exists on 16 transactions — acquit on those counts at minimum.'
Jury returns guilty verdicts on all 3 counts after 14 hours deliberation — Nguyen remanded in custody for sentencing
Her Honour Judge Reilly imposes 4 years 6 months imprisonment with non-parole period of 2 years 9 months — earliest release date 24 December 2027