ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, July 27, 1996 TAG: 9607300044
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ALEXANDRIA
SOURCE: Associated Press
The nephew of a woman abducted along with her 3-year-old son apologized to the grieving family Friday for a hoax in which he posed as a kidnapper to receive a ransom payment.
Kieuoanh ``Nina'' Thi Nguyen, 35, and her son, Ryobi, were taken from their Fairfax County home Nov. 16. Police suspected foul play, but had no evidence until the pair's bodies were discovered in May inside a trash can someone had submerged in a suburban drainage pond.
Vinh Cong Tran, Kieuoanh Thi Nguyen's nephew, pleaded guilty in April to extorting $200,000 in ransom from Michael Nguyen for his wife and son's safe return.
Police said Tran was apparently not involved in the actual kidnapping, but took advantage of the situation to collect money from his wealthy uncle.
No one has been arrested in the abduction or killings.
``I know what I did is very wrong,'' Tran said before he was sentenced in federal court to more than four years in prison. ``I hope everyone that is involved will forgive me.''
Tran, 30, faced up to 20 years in federal prison.
Police discovered most of the money hidden on the campus of a community college where Tran had attended classes.
Michael Nguyen offered a $50,000 reward for the safe return of his wife and son last fall. Police said he is not a suspect.
In arguing for a stiff sentence, Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Bellows called Tran's hoax ``coldhearted, reckless and extreme.''
U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton added three years of probation to Tran's 51-month sentence, and ordered him to pay $3,054 to the Nguyen family.
The disappearance of Kieuoanh Thi Nguyen and her son has puzzled investigators, who at one time suspected Tran.
Police traced to Tran a call made to Kieuoanh Thi Nguyen's home demanding a ransom the day after she and the child disappeared.
He cooperated almost immediately, and police said from the start he didn't seem like a good suspect.
Tran's lawyer said Tran has lost his job and has been ostracized by family and friends.
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