Did aide bootleg DVDs?

A Salt Lake County fleet supervisor is facing allegations of running a counterfeit DVD business out of his office after county leaders uncovered questionable purchases and stacks of illegally copied DVDs.

According to several county officials, that was one of several accusations of wrongdoings outlined in a report by the District Attorney's office that resulted in the firing of Information Services director Hoang Q. Nguyen last month.

Nguyen confirmed that he was investigated for making and selling illegally copied DVDs using county time and resources, but he has appealed his termination and says the accusations are entirely false.

"That is all untrue. I help people make a copy, but they always have their own CD," he said. "I don't sell DVDs."

County leaders, however, say there were more than 300 illegally copied DVD movies in Nguyen's office at the beginning of the investigation two months ago, along with other unused computer parts Nguyen had purchased on the county dime.

Even after investigators hauled out three boxes of materials from Nguyen's office at the Midvale fleet headquarters, there are still seven brand new computers on the office floor and a closet brimming with unopened keyboards, disks and computer parts.

Public Works Director John Patterson said he believes Nguyen's appeal hearing in August will only validate his termination and show the county's investigation was well-founded.

"When we go in front of the Career Services Council, it's just going to take a push of a button," Patterson said of recorded conversations with Nguyen. "Mayor (Peter) Corroon's one strike and you're out policy applies to all the county employees."

Patterson added that the weight of the evidence against Nguyen seems irrefutable. A thick binder of findings by the District Attorney's office pushed Patterson past the point of giving Nguyen "the benefit of the doubt," he said.

Reimbursement records and purchase orders for Nguyen for the past five years indicate he bought close to 1,000 DVDs, compact discs and cases with county dollars. Most of those purchases were made tax-free with a 50 percent discount because of Nguyen's county affiliation.