Vietnamese beauty queen arrested for fraud over fibre gummies
Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien had heavily marketed gummies said to be rich in fibre on her social media channels.
But a public backlash erupted after product tests revealed this was untrue.
A former winner of the Miss Grand International beauty competition, Ms Nguyen is a well-known personality in Vietnam and previously received accolades from the government.
Ms Nguyen had promoted Kera Supergreens Gummies along with social media influencers, Pham Quang Linh and Hang Du Muc.
Investigators said the product was the result of a joint venture between Ms Nguyen and a company set up by the two other influencers.
The influencers claimed that each of their gummies contained fibre equivalent to a plate of vegetables.
A member of the public sent the product for testing at a lab, which found that each gummy only contained 16mg of fibre, far from 200mg as claimed.
Authorities then launched an investigation, which found that sub-standard ingredients that were low in fibre were used in the manufacture of the gummies.
The product's packaging also did not state the fibre content, nor did it state that the product contained a high level of sorbitol, which is used in laxatives.
The three influencers were fined in March, and apologised to the public.
The following month, Vietnamese authorities arrested Mr Pham and Hang Du Muc as well as officials from their company and the gummies' manufacturer.
They were charged with producing counterfeit goods and defrauding customers.
On Monday, authorities announced the arrest of Ms Nguyen on similar charges.
More than 100,000 boxes of the gummies were reportedly sold before sales were halted due to the scandal.
After winning the Bangkok-based beauty pageant in 2021, Ms Nguyen became a celebrity sought after by many Vietnamese brands, and appeared on several reality TV shows.
She also received certificates of merit from the prime minister and Vietnam's ruling Communist Party.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Turkish businessman hit with probation, fines for funneling illegal cash to Mayor Adams' campaign
Brooklyn construction company executive Erden Arkan was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay more than $27,000 Friday after pleading guilty to pumping illegal straw donations into Mayor Adams' 2021 campaign coffers. Though the related criminal case against Adams is over, it was revealed in court Friday that Arkan has been cooperating in the city Campaign Finance Board's ongoing investigation into allegations that the mayor's 2021 and 2025 campaigns engaged in a variety of straw donor schemes. Arkan, a Turkish national and the owner of Williamsburg-based KSK Construction who first pleaded guilty in January, was on the verge of tears as he accepted his sentence during a morning hearing in Manhattan Federal Court. 'I feel profound sadness for the choices I (made),' he said, his voice cracking up. 'I'm sincerely sorry to the New York City taxpayers … I also apologize to this court.' The cash Arkan must cough up comprises a $9,500 fine and an $18,000 restitution payment to the Campaign Finance Board to cover According to his indictment, Arkan, 76, hosted a fundraiser at his offices for Adams' first mayoral campaign in May 2021 that drew in a total of $14,000 from 11 individuals. Records show Adams' team then submitted those contributions for public matching funds, netting his campaign an additional $18,000 in taxpayer cash. Prosecutors allege the donations were illegal, as Arkan reimbursed his employees for making them in violation of federal and local laws, resulting in the public matching funds unlocked also being fraudulent. According to Adams' now-dismissed corruption indictment, his campaign knowingly solicited and accepted illegal campaign donations and bribes, mostly from Turkish government operatives, in exchange for political favors, like assistance with city building permits. President Trump's administration dropped the Adams indictment as part of a controversial deal that didn't address the merits of the case. The presiding judge wrote the deal 'smacks of a bargain' in which the mayor was spared prosecution in exchange for assisting Trump's immigration agenda; Adams has consistently denied any quid pro quo. Arkan's defense attorney, Jonathan Rosen, questioned during Friday's court hearing how it makes sense for the Trump-controlled Manhattan U.S. attorney's office to quash the mayor's case, but move forward with Arkan's, given the overlap between them. 'Nothing can normalize this unfair exercise of prosecutorial discretion,' Rosen said. Ho acknowledged there was 'incongruity' between the Arkan and Adams cases. However, the judge rejected the idea Arkan shouldn't face the music as a result. 'It is not a victimless crime,' Ho said, arguing Arkan's offenses violated the public trust in a way that 'breeds cynicism.' In a sentencing submission filed earlier this month, Rosen wrote Arkan 'did not coordinate his decision to use straw donors' with the Turkish government, though he did acknowledge his client was first introduced to Adams via the Turkish consul general. Rosen wrote Arkan devised the straw donor scheme after failing to line up enough individual donors to contribute a minimum of $10,000 that the mayor's campaign had informed him he needed to come up with in order to host the fundraiser. In a letter to the court filed ahead of Arkan's sentencing, the Campaign Finance Board's general counsel, Joseph Gallagher, wrote his crimes 'wasted taxpayer dollars' and 'deteriorated the integrity' of the city's public matching funds program. Gallagher also wrote: 'The Board appreciates that Mr. Arkan is cooperating with the Board's ongoing audit and investigation of the Adams 2021 and 2025 Campaigns.' As part of its ongoing probe, the CFB has denied the mayor millions of dollars in public matching funds for his reelection bid this year, declaring the panel continues to believe he has 'violated the law' despite the dismissal of his federal case. The mayor maintains he has done nothing wrong and is contesting the matching funds denial. Arkan is the first person to be sentenced as part of a criminal case connected to the mayor's historic indictment. A second man, former Adams administration official Mohamed Bahi, pleaded guilty earlier this week to orchestrating a similar straw donor scheme in which another real estate executive of Uzbek descent pumped illegal cash into the mayor's 2021 campaign by making contributions in the names of employees. Bahi is expected to be sentenced this fall. Solve the daily Crossword
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
DC woman goes viral after sharing she feels ‘more safe than ever' in capital after ‘Trump's law'
A DC resident has gone viral after saying she feels 'more safe than ever' following President Trump's crackdown on crime in the nation's capital. 'Finally able to chill at a red light with my windows down, not worried about if one of them young n—as is coming,' beaming TikTok user bigdawglexi said in the video, before sighing contentedly. 'Riding through the city, feeling more safe than I ever felt,' she said in the short clip, filmed inside her car at night. Advertisement 3 The woman filmed herself 'riding through the city, feeling more safe than I ever felt.' TikTok/bigdawglexi In a separate video, she said it had been 'real quiet in the city, real livable, real 'I like that,'' since the introduction of what she called 'Trump's Law.' Lexi describes herself as a Maryland-based nail tech, but appears to be wearing a police uniform in many of her videos. Advertisement A DC resident has gone viral after saying she feels 'more safe than ever' following President Trump's crackdown on crime in the nation's capital. Earlier this week, Trump launched a major crime crackdown in DC, with 1,000 National Guardsmen deployed to the city in response to high levels of disorder. 3 DC police detain a person on August 14, 2025 after President Trump's announcement of the federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department. REUTERS 3 Federal agents arrest a man outside New York Avenue Presbyterian Church on August 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Getty Images More than 100 people have been arrested since the president assumed emergency control of the capital's police force.
New York Post
5 hours ago
- New York Post
Parents who forced 9-year-old son to do push-ups, squats in viral video defend punishment after backlash
Katie and Dustin Maletich, Oregon parents of four, have gone viral on social media for a parenting moment that's sparked some debate. After Dustin's 9-year-old stepson, Tommy, told his mother to 'chill,' he was instructed to do several push-ups and 60 squats as a form of discipline. Advertisement The workout was met with a father-son conversation about the tone in which he should be speaking to his mother. Tommy was attentive and apologized to his mom. Dustin Maletich, who is a corrections officer at a prison, ended the confrontation with an 'I love you' and a hug. While some praised the stepfather for his approach, others were concerned about using physical exercise as a form of punishment. Dr. Dyan Hes, pediatrician and medical director at Highline Modern Medicine in New York, reacted to this discipline method in an interview with Fox News Digital, calling it a 'ridiculous punishment.' Advertisement 'If you have ever done 60 squats, you know it is painful, especially in a young prepubescent child,' she said. 'Regardless, this is still a form of corporal punishment. Exercise should invoke positive connotations, not negative ones.' 5 Katie and Dustin Maletich, Oregon parents of four, have gone viral on social media for a parenting moment that's sparked some debate. Fox News Educational psychologist and parenting expert Dr. Michele Borba shared a different perspective, stating that the stepfather approached it the 'right way' by responding calmly and enforcing a punishment that seemed familiar and doable for the child. The California-based expert was more concerned about how posting the video online could emotionally impact the child and invoke 'public shame.' Advertisement In an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital, the Maletich family shared that fitness isn't used as a punishment for their children, but as a method of teaching self-control and emotional regulation. 5 The workout was met with a father-son conversation about the tone in which he should be speaking to his mother. @raisingmaletich/Instagram 'It's never like, 'We're punishing you because you were bad,'' Katie Maletich said. 'It's, 'Hey, let's help you figure out some better self-control and a better outlet for whatever is going on.'' Dustin Maletich added, 'We try to have the consequences correlate with the inappropriate behavior. If you demonstrate the inability to control your actions, then by doing physical activity, you're showing yourself that you are in control of your actions.' Advertisement 'There are plenty of times that I get frustrated,' he went on. 'I can't lash out at my boss. I can't yell at somebody. I can't throw a tantrum. That's not the way the world works.' 5 After Dustin's 9-year-old stepson, Tommy, told his mother to 'chill,' he was instructed to do several push-ups and 60 squats as a form of discipline. @raisingmaletich/Instagram The couple shared that their oldest daughter, who is 13, chooses to walk or jog if her emotions are feeling out of control, before engaging in a conversation with her parents. '[Our daughter] said, 'I don't want to have a sit-down conversation with you when I'm cranky,' but when she goes jogging on the treadmill, she said she finds that afterward, she's able to better communicate her feelings because she's more centered,' Katie Maletich said. 'Our kids like working out. They don't do it every day, but I think overall they enjoy it, because it's such a central part of our home.' Fitness is a 'positive bonding experience' for the Maletichs, she said. 'They feel better, and they voice it afterward … They're happier, they're less frustrated. And so, to us, we see that as a win.' This approach to discipline can differ for each child and circumstance, the Maletichs shared, which involves 'intention and intuition.' Advertisement 5 While some praised the stepfather for his approach, others were concerned about using physical exercise as a form of punishment. @raisingmaletich/Instagram 'The biggest thing is just learning to respond as a parent rather than reacting,' Katie said. The couple's approach to parenting is 'we're not raising kids, we're raising adults,' Dustin shared. 'I think putting more focus on how our kids are going to be able to handle life when they're adults is more important than figuring out how to make them happy and comfortable right now,' Katie said. Advertisement 5 'It's never like, 'We're punishing you because you were bad,'' Katie Maletich said. 'It's, 'Hey, let's help you figure out some better self-control and a better outlet for whatever is going on.'' Fox News For other parents, Katie noted that physical activity has worked 'really well' when followed by 'connection and conversation.' 'That's a really essential part of this,' she said. 'You have to explain it to them afterward and make sure that connection, both emotionally and to the issue and consequence, is there.' The couple also responded to the backlash they received after posting the video, mentioning that they asked their son for consent before sharing it. He responded with hopes that it would go viral.
