Accused Casino Scammer Pleads Guilty to Auto Theft

A man accused of scamming a local casino admitted on Tuesday to stealing a car in an unrelated incident.

Hung Dang Nguyen, 32, of Stanton, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor receiving or purchasing a stolen vehicle, according to court records.

He was originally charged with felony auto theft and misdemeanor driving on a suspended or revoked license, but those charges were dismissed in a plea deal.

He was sentenced to spend 210 days in jail. A judge gave him 66 days credit for time served, the record shows.

He was ordered to pay restitution to the victim and serve 36 months probation.

Casino scam

Nguyen and an accomplice, Eric Hoang, 28, of Garden Grove, allegedly used stolen credit cards to gamble at the casino. They racked up $25,000 in winnings, the Press-Enterprise reported.

Nguyen was charged with three felony counts of intent to defraud, burglary and grand theft of credit cards, according to court records.

To see the felony complaint, click on the photo gallery.

He failed to show up for an arraignment and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

The two men were also charged in federal court on counts related to the theft of $400,000 from Chase Bank in a debit card scam that included trips to Las Vegas casinos, according to the Press-Enterprise.