LOS ANGELES – A former San Gabriel Valley resident who fled the United States on the eve of her May 2022 methamphetamine trafficking trial has been extradited from Singapore, the Justice Department announced today.
Demi Pham, 44, a.k.a. “Diem Thi Ly,” a dual U.S.-Vietnamese citizen formerly of Rosemead, arrived Thursday evening at Los Angeles International Airport on a flight from Singapore.
She is expected to make her initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana.
Pham is charged with one count of conspiracy to export controlled substances, two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of attempted exportation of methamphetamine. She has pleaded not guilty to these charges.
According to a four-count indictment, from November 2018 to May 2019, Pham and a co-conspirator enlisted couriers to transport methamphetamine and cocaine in luggage from the United States to Australia, concealing the drugs inside candles and toy boxes. In total, law enforcement seized more than 20 kilograms (44.1 pounds) of methamphetamine from couriers and found more than 10 kilograms (22.1 pounds) of methamphetamine at Pham’s then-residence in Rosemead.
In May 2022, Pham failed to appear for a hearing the day before her trial was to begin, and United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson issued a bench warrant for her arrest. Pham was arrested in Singapore in November 2025 at the request of the United States. Singaporean authorities transferred her to the custody of the United States Marshals Service, who escorted her to the United States today.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, Pham would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating this matter. The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks U.S. law enforcement partners at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore, including the HSI Attaché Office and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service for their assistance in this matter. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, working with the Singapore Police Force and Attorney-General’s Chambers, provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Pham to the United States.
Assistant United States Attorneys David Y. Pi of the Major Frauds Section and David C. Lachman of the National Security Division are prosecuting this case.
