Two LJ Hooker agents face hundreds of charges, jail time
Exclusive by Josie Taylor and Sam Clark
Updated
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-27/real-estate-agents-face-jail-time/8216920
Consumer Affairs Victoria has laid hundreds of charges against two former LJ Hooker real estate agents for allegedly misappropriating more than $2 million of customers' money.
The ABC exclusively revealed last year that six LJ Hooker branches in suburban Melbourne run by Truc Thanh Le Nguyen (known as Judy Nguyen) and her husband Tri Duc Ngo (known as Joseph Ngo) were shut down by head office.
More than 100 customers claimed their money kept in trust by the real estate agents had disappeared.
Today, Consumer Affairs Victoria announced that it had charged Judy Nguyen with 216 offences and Joseph Ngo with 188 offences for alleged breaches of the Estate Agents Act.
The pair are due to appear in court next Friday. Potential penalties include up to 10 years jail.
The Director of Consumer Affairs has approved 58 claims from customers who lost trust funds, totalling more than $2 million.
Consumer Affairs has also approved the payment of 21 claims for rent money, totalling more than $34,000.
The couple's franchise was terminated by LJ hooker when the allegations first emerged in April last year