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The North Tustin home at the center of the Andrew Do scandal has sold for more than $1 million
Law enforcement searched the North Tustin home of Rhiannon Do, on Aug. 22, 2024. Now that home has sold for over $1 million.
(
Jason Armond
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
)
A North Tustin home at the heart of the Andrew Do corruption scandal has sold for roughly $1.1 million, and depending on the Department of Justice, Orange County could see that money returned in about three months.
Do, a former Orange County supervisor was caught using taxpayer funds meant to feed needy seniors to buy the home.
How we got here
Do was recently sentenced to five years in prison for his role in the elaborate scheme that saw him accepting bribes in exchange for directing more than $10 million in public contracts to a nonprofit group with ties to his daughter. The bribes were then routed through his adult daughter, according to Do’s plea agreement, and included a down payment on the North Tustin home. U.S. officials seized that home in July and accounts associated with the corruption scheme.
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In August, he was ordered to pay $878,230.80 in restitution for his involvement in the bribery scheme.
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What's next
Ciaran McEvoy, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, told LAist now that the house has sold, the next step is “remission of forfeited assets.” The Department of Justice has to approve if the funds from the home sale will be returned to the victim, in this case the County of Orange.
Typically, the DOJ takes about 90 days for approval. The federal government shutdown could potentially affect that timeline, McEvoy said, but some DOJ staff including him are working without pay.
If approved, Orange County will not get the full amount from the sale of the house. They'll get what is leftover after sales costs, property taxes and the remaining mortgage balance is paid off. And the mortgage balance was around $620,000 when the house was purchased in 2023.
In a written statement, county counsel Leon Page's office told LAist they are preparing a "remission petition with exhibits, which is a form for the County to claim proceeds of certain assets, including real property."
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That form will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice.
"The anticipated remission funds are not currently earmarked for a specific contract or purpose," according to the statement.
LAist has reached out to Supervisor Janet Nguyen’s office for comment.
The second property
Federal officials also seized a second property in connection with the scheme. The commercial property in Santa Ana is currently for sale for roughly $1 million.
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