Ex-FBI Agent Charged With Armed Robbery Plot

July 18, 2008— -- A former FBI special agent was orderedheld without bail Thursday after being arrested for allegedlyplotting the armed robbery of a drug money stash house.

The order against Vo Duong Tran came after the judge ruled him adanger to the community, in part because of secretly tapedconversations in which Tran alluded to previous murders-for-hireand armed robberies.

Yu Sung Park, who is suspected of being Tran's accomplice, wasalso held without bail. Both are charged with interference withcommerce by means of threat or violence and conspiring todistribute narcotics.

Tran was arrested in the Orange County city of Fountain Valleylate Monday after a federal probe that included six months ofconversations secretly taped by an FBI informant posing as someonewho could help Tran locate and carry out armed robberies.

Authorities allege Tran flew from his home in New Orleans to theLos Angeles area to raid the drug stash house, where the informanttold him they could net $300,000.

According to the affidavit, Tran told the informant to sendpayments to Park in New Orleans for bulletproof vests that would beworn during the robbery.

Tran and the informant also allegedly discussed how audible thegunshots would be during the robbery if they used silencers anddiscussed the need to do a "dry run" of the robbery before goingforward, according to transcripts included in the affidavit.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Keenan said Thursday that agentsfound two assault rifles, four handguns - including a .22-caliberhandgun with a built-in silencer - plastic handcuffs and fourbulletproof vests when they arrested Tran and Park.

According to the affidavit's transcripts, Tran talked about hisdesire to kill former associates who owe him millions of dollarsfrom an illegal bookmaking gig. At one point, Tran allegedly says:"I want blood. ... I have to make sure it's done right because allmy hits, they are clean. Not even come back to me."

Alex Kessel, Tran's attorney, told U.S. Magistrate Judge MarcGoldman that FBI agents had no evidence of Tran actually committingthe robbery or of committing murders-for-hire. He also suggestedthat the informant entrapped Tran by proposing robberies or askingfor advice about how to commit the crime.

"The only witness they have is this informant who waspreviously told how to approach my client, how to tell himthings," Kessel said.

Goldman disagreed and said the taped conversations convinced himto remand Tran to custody.

"He's either puffing ... or it didn't happen," Goldman said ofTran's taped statements about previous crimes. "But it did comeout of your client's mouth."

Tran, whose toddler daughter blew him kisses from the courtgallery, showed no emotion during the hearing. A preliminaryhearing was set for July 29.

Tran, who is Vietnamese, was hired by the FBI in 1992, but wassuspended in 2001 after admitting that he attempted to bribe aVietnamese official while on a personal trip to Vietnam. He filed acivil lawsuit against the agency shortly afterward, which ispending, Kessel said.

While suspended, he was charged in Chicago with impersonating apeace officer but was acquitted of all charges.

He was fired by the FBI in 2003, but the next year was indictedby federal officials in Atlanta on charges that he fraudulentlyobtained firearms and silencers by stating that he needed theweapons for his job with the FBI.

The charges were dismissed after a judge found the evidenceagainst him was inadmissible, Kessel said.