United States of America v. Dylan Tai Dang

Honolulu, Hawaii criminal defense lawyers represented the Defendants charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. 846.

Reported by Kent Morlan

Between April 2023 and April 2025, Dylan Tai Dang, 55, of Garden Grove, California, and his coconspirator, Bill Van Nguyen, sold and distributed over thirty-four and a half pounds of methamphetamine and eleven and a half pounds of fentanyl and fentanyl-laced pills from their base of operations in California to a Hawaii purchaser, who was an undercover law enforcement employee (the “undercover”). The undercover operation involved over $100,000 in payments for drugs intended to be distributed in Hawaii. Dang flew from California to Hawaii on two occasions to pick up over $41,000 in cash drug proceeds from the undercover. He also laundered payments for other drug transactions through bank accounts of five shell corporations that he set up and controlled. For three completed drug transactions in the conspiracy and one attempt, Dang acted as the frontman and negotiated the transactions with the undercover presenting an array of drugs for sale and using coded drug language in their communications.

Separate from the conspiracy, Dang flew to Hawaii to meet with the undercover to discuss Dang’s money laundering activities. Dang agreed to launder $25,000 in drug proceeds for the undercover for a 5% fee. Dang directed the undercover to transfer the funds to bank accounts tied to shell corporations that Dang controlled and then Dang returned the money back to the undercover less his fee. During the investigation, the government identified nine shell corporations set up by Dang, who facilitated the transfer of millions of dollars through the shell corporations’ associated bank accounts.

The Defendant was found guilty and was sentenced to 87 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.