Convicted Felon Deported Before She Could Withdraw Guilty Plea

A woman who served time for swindling her church congregation has been deported to Laos by ICE before legal proceedings that could allow her to stay in the U.S. could be completed.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office was working with 55-year-old Mai Vu Vang and her attorney to withdraw a guilty plea in the theft by swindle case, a development that could have potentially allowed her to remain in Minnesota.

Last week, KARE 11’s Lou Raguse reported on the unusual legal proceedings surrounding Vang, a woman who pleaded guilty in 2020 after bilking a number of fellow church members by telling them she was dying of cancer. Prosecutors say Vang stole $450,000, which she spent on gambling.

Vang pleaded guilty to the charges and served 54 months in prison. But recently, her attorney filed a petition for post-conviction relief and asked to withdraw Vang’s guilty plea, saying she was wrongly advised by previous counsel {snip}

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There was another consideration: By pleading guilty, Vang agreed that if she was not a citizen of the U.S., she could be deported.

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