Le Van Phu, known as Phu Le, and his wife La Thuy Kieu were recently charged by the Hanoi Police Investigation Agency with violating accounting regulations causing serious consequences, and illegally printing, issuing, buying, and selling invoices and receipts for state budget collection.
Since 2017, Phu and his wife used 3 companies — Thien Phu Service Trading Import-Export Co., Ltd., Thanh Quang Dang, and Thien Phu Group Trading — to outsource manufacturing and trade various products. Among these, Loramen, a male enhancement product, was the most heavily advertised.
During the investigation, Phu stated he did not know the ingredients, benefits, or public disclosure documents for Loramen and had never used it himself. The defendant claimed he trusted his wife, and whatever product she gave him, he would advertise it extensively for sales.
Phu admitted to exaggerating Loramen's benefits, which led to customer dissatisfaction, and expressed a desire for forgiveness.
Most of the couple's products were sold via social media. To attract viewers, they posted many promotional videos. Phu stated that in previous years, he would sing, dance, perform comedy, and even argue to gain more viewers, but he has stopped these activities recently due to his age.
"When you go online, people only show the best things, but deep inside are things only the video creators know. This includes videos that do not bring cultural or humanistic value," Phu stated.
Phu claimed he did not know how to manage bank accounts, with all sales revenue handled by his wife. He would hold the accounts when his wife gave them to him, but he did not care what they were used for, as long as it was "good for the family". Phu said that after his arrest, he recognized his mistakes, understood he must pay the price, and hoped for forgiveness.
Phu Le and his wife testifying at the investigation agency. Photo: Police provided
'No one goes online just for fun'
La Thuy Kieu stated she was the main director of the business operations. Products were custom-manufactured, and Kieu claimed their efficacy could not be 100% guaranteed, as it depended on each individual's body.
Kieu directly managed sales, only asking her husband for help with video recording when needed. The defendant believed that going online was not just for fun but also to gain fame, attract attention from brands, and ultimately sell products. Kieu also filmed videos herself, collaborating with many public figures to make advertisements trend.
Kieu admitted that due to a lack of financial understanding, she failed to keep proper books and reports, leading to legal violations.
According to the police, from 2021 to 2025, Thien Phu Company imported goods from several businesses but did not create invoices or fully declare taxes. In addition to the company account, the couple used 10 personal bank accounts to receive over 107 billion VND from business activities.
The investigation agency accused Kieu of declaring and paying taxes under the name of "La Thuy Kieu household business" to legitimize the received money and reduce the payable tax amount, causing damage to the state budget.
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Phu Le at the investigation agency. Photo: Police provided
To counter tax authority inspections, Kieu was accused of instructing accountants and staff to create many fake sales invoices. Lawyer Nguyen Thi Huong Lan was identified as having assisted Kieu in this to conceal Thien Phu Company's accounting violations.
According to the police, Ms. Lan also provided her personal information and that of her relatives for Kieu to create 10 fake value-added tax invoices, totaling over 1.5 billion VND.
Accountant Phung Thi Khanh, 45 years old, and lawyer Nguyen Thi Huong Lan, 50 years old, were both charged with the same two offenses as Phu and his wife. Phu and Ms. Lan are currently in temporary detention.
Phu Le, 46 years old, originally from Yen Bai province, is well-known on social media as an "internet gangster" (a term for online personalities who project a tough, often criminal, image) and is an amateur singer and actor. Phu Le has two prior convictions, serving a total of 8 years in prison for illegally trading narcotics and disturbing public order.
Recently, in addition to Phu Le and his wife, the police have also arrested a series of other "internet gangsters" such as Huan Hoa Hong, Vua Quat, Khanh Sky, and Ho Van Khoa.
