FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 3, 2026
PITTSBURGH — Ngoc Phuongthi Le, 54, of Churchill, is facing multiple charges including theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, access device fraud and more than 20 counts of bad checks for allegedly
According to the criminal complaint, Le is accused of using her access to her husband’s personal and business bank accounts to write checks to herself. The amount of the checks exceeded the balance in her husband’s accounts. Le deposited the checks into her personal First Commonwealth Bank account and then immediately transferred the funds from her account before the transactions could be flagged by the bank for insufficient funds. Investigators traced the funds from Le’s First Commonwealth account being sent via wire transfers and Zelle deposits.
Between Dec. 22, 2025, and Jan. 5, 2026, Le allegedly issued a total of 24 bad checks, totaling $82,710 of attempted stolen funds, with a loss to First Commonwealth Bank of approximately $56,072.23.
“This is something that unfortunately occurs far too often in our county,” said DA Zappala. “To effectively charge these crimes, we have to first understand the scam. Individuals and businesses should be vigilant and report suspicious transactions as soon as possible.”
An accused is presumed innocent until convicted in a court of law.
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The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office serves approximately 1.2 million people and is one of the largest jurisdictions in the United States of America at 740 sq. miles. It employs over 200 employees, including over 100 attorneys, detectives, crime scene analysts and support staff. The District Attorney’s Office serves as the Chief Law Enforcement Office of the county and accepts referrals from more than 100 active police departments, including the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Allegheny County Police Department and the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department. For more information, visit alleghenycountyda.us.
Communications Department
Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office