Woman who plotted to destroy rival nail salon with incendiary device sentenced

The owner of a West Chester nail salon who concocted a plan to destroy a rival salon with a homemade incendiary device told a federal judge Wednesday that she is ashamed and sorry for what she did.

Kim Vu, 46, told U.S District Judge Matthew McFarland that she taught her three children − one works for the FBI, another is in the Army Reserve − to be good people. Vu, herself, also worked as a registered nurse.

"I still don't understand … why it happened," Vu said at her sentencing in federal court in Cincinnati. "I feel guilt. I feel so, so bad."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Mangan said the plot, which was thwarted when an employee at the rival salon noticed the device and moved it outside, was driven by Vu's animosity toward the salon's owners.

She "acted on hateful feelings," Mangan said. He added that even though the plan didn't ultimately succeed, Vu's crime wasn't any less severe.

McFarland sentenced her to three years and 10 months in prison. Because Vu has health issues and scheduled medical appointments, she will be allowed to self-surrender to prison in mid-July. She pleaded guilty last year to a conspiracy charge.

Plan involved remote device

The plan was being discussed in January 2023 by Vu and 30-year-old Cierra Bishop, a woman she enlisted to construct the device, which was intended to ignite remotely late at night.

In court Wednesday, McFarland read from text messages between the two.

After Bishop texted that it was taking a long time to build because it was wireless, Vu responded: "Dang. You are so talented."

Bishop then texted that the device would be "filled with acetone."

Vu "liked" that text and wrote: "Girl! Trust and wait for me through this yr. I'll help you to own your own business."

Bishop responded: "Making bombs for a living lol."

"Ha ha," Vu said.

McFarland noted that Vu's plan was developed over months and that the device could have killed or seriously injured someone.

"Your conduct lacked empathy and concern for others," he said.

'We are constantly on edge'

The owners of the other salon did not attend the hearing, but submitted a letter, which Mangan read in court. They said they were friends with Vu and couldn't believe she would try to destroy their business.

In the year after the incident, the rival salon saw a more than 30% decrease in business, the letter said.

And, according to the letter, "we are constantly on edge."

On Feb. 5, 2023, Bishop and another woman, Makahla Rennick, drove to the salon and walked in together. Rennick received a pedicure, according to the documents. As she walked out, she placed a bag behind a desk, the documents say. She and Bishop drove away.

An employee found the device, which "smelled like gasoline." The employee moved it outside and placed it near some large trash containers, according to the documents.

The employee later went back, the documents say, noticed it was burning and called 911.

Bishop and Rennick have both pleaded guilty in the case, court records show.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Nail salon owner who plotted to destroy rival business sentenced