Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley announced on August 19, 2024, that the County of Orange initiated civil litigation against the Hand to Hand Relief Organization (H2H) and its Chief Executive Officer, Thanh Huong Nguyen. The County aims to recover $3,000,000 of taxpayer dollars that were appropriated to feed hungry seniors during the pandemic. Instead, the organization allegedly used the funds for illusory loan payments to CEO Nguyen’s separate businesses, private rental payments to Aloha Financial, and for voluminous cash withdrawals. More than $600,000 of H2H’s pandemic relief grants were transferred to VAS as a subcontractor on the contract. Both VAS and Aloha Financial are party to another lawsuit filed by the County of Orange on August 15, 2024.

“H2H and VAS schemed to pilfer public funds. While the community joined together to serve our most vulnerable constituents throughout the pandemic, H2H and VAS instead conspired to enrich themselves,” said Supervisor Katrina Foley. “With this additional litigation against H2H and VAS, I renew my call for criminal investigations by County, State, and Federal officials and commit that the County of Orange continues to pursue all avenues available to recover these grossly misused taxpayer funds.”

On August 14, 2024, OC Supervisors Katrina Foley and Vicente Sarmiento demanded the County of Orange legal counsel take immediate and swift action to recover the unaccounted public funds from H2H, VAS, and their principals through every legal avenue. Additionally, the Supervisors urged County, State, and Federal officials to investigate the improper use of funds from H2H, VAS, and their principals.

Following calls by the Supervisors for investigation and immediate action on August 15, 2024, the County of Orange filed a lawsuit against VAS, Aloha Financial, and their principals after their investigation found that the principals of VAS allegedly purchased six real property investments using funds intended to feed hungry seniors and build a Vietnam War Memorial.