LJ Hooker agents hit with 400 charges for 'taking $2 MILLION worth of client deposits and SPENDING them'

  • Two real estate agents face 10 years jail for allegedly stealing home deposits
  • Truc Thanh Le 'Judy' Nguyen and husband Tri Duc 'Joseph' Ngo face 414 charges
  • Consumer Affairs took over their six Melbourne franchises after they closed
  • More than 110 clients were allegedly ripped off $2 million 

By Nic White For Daily Mail Australia and Aap

Published: 00:05 EST, 27 January 2017 | Updated: 00:05 EST, 27 January 2017

Two former real estate agents face up to 10 years jail for allegedly stealing $2 million of their clients deposits and spending them.

Truc Thanh Le 'Judy' Nguyen and husband Tri Duc 'Joseph' Ngo were slaped with 414 charges between them for their dealings while running six LJ Hooker franchises.

The couple's Melbourne branches were shut down and then taken over by Consumer Affairs Victoria last April with at least 110 homeowners, landlords and tenants allegedly ripped off.

Two former real estate agents face up to 10 years jail for allegedly stealing $2 million of their clients deposits and spending them

The regulator alleges they breached four sections of the Estate Agents Act related to the handling of trust money and the restrictions on agents purchasing property. 

Some of the offences carry five-figure fines and significant jail time.

CAV reimbursed 58 clients more than $2 million from the Victorian Property Fund and another 21 claims for $34,000 in lost rent money from what was left of Nguyen's trust account.

Nguyen was the sole director of franchises in Glen Waverley, Keysborough, Mount Waverley, Burwood, Doncaster and Box Hill.

The couple's Melbourne branches were shut down and then taken over by Consumer Affairs Victoria last April with at least 110 homeowners, landlords and tenants allegedly ripped off

Truc Thanh Le 'Judy' Nguyen (L) and husband Tri Duc 'Joseph' Ngo (R) were slaped with 414 charges between them for their dealings while running six LJ Hooker franchises

She put put her two $1.5 million homes in Melbourne's Narre Warren North on the market just one week after the allegations came to light.

Her lawyers claimed all money raised by the sales would be given to the alleged victims and CAV put a caveat on them to ensure payment after sale.

One of the houses, next door to each other, was sold to an undisclosed buyer for a withheld sum and advertised for rent in August, while the other is still on the market.

Nguyen and Ngo face court on February 3. If they plead guilty they will be indicted and the magistrate will decide what court will hear their case.

Nguyen put put her two $1.5 million homes in Melbourne's Narre Warren North on the market just one week after the allegations came to light

Her lawyers claimed all money raised by the sales would be given to the alleged victims and CAV put a caveat on them to ensure payment after sale

If they plead not guilty, CAV will have to show there is enough evidence for a committal hearing.

LJ Hooker spokesman Christopher Mourd said the scandal was a 'blight on the industry' and the company would intensively train franchisees in trust account management.

The real estate agent took out a full page ad in a Sunday newspaper three weeks after the branches closed, to apologise to clients and the people of Victoria. 

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