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Press Release

Grand Jury Returns An Indictment Against State Senator Yee, Raymond “Shrimpboy” Chow, And Twenty-Seven Related Defendants

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of California

SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury returned an Indictment yesterday charging twenty-nine defendants with firearms trafficking, money laundering, murder-for-hire, drug distribution, trafficking in contraband cigarettes, and honest services fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge José M. Martinez. The indictment follows the March 26, 2014 arrests authorized by criminal complaint.

The defendants are charged in the indictment as follows:

DEFENDANT

CHARGES

Kwok Cheung CHOW, a/k/a Raymond CHOW, a/k/a Shrimp Boy

Money Laundering (18 USC § 1956), Conspiracy to Traffic Contraband Cigarettes (18 USC §§ 371, 2342, 2344), Conspiracy to Transport and Receive Stolen Property in Interstate Commerce (18 USC §§ 371, 2314, and 2315)

Leland YEE

Honest Services Conspiracy (18 USC §1349), Wire Fraud (18 USC §§ 1343, 1346), Conspiracy to Deal in Firearms and Import Firearms (18 USC §§ 371, 922(a), 922(l))

George NIEH, a/k/a Heng Nieh, a/k/a Ah Fei

Money Laundering (18 USC 1956), Unlicensed Firearms Dealing (18 USC § 922(a)), Felon in Possession of Firearm (18 USC § 922(g)), Conspiracy to Traffic Contraband Cigarettes (18 USC §§ 371, 2342, 2344), Conspiracy to Transport and Receive Stolen Property in Interstate Commerce (18 USC §§ 371, 2314, and 2315), Narcotics Conspiracy (21 USC § 846)

Keith JACKSON

Wire Fraud (18 USC §§ 1343, 1346), Engaging in Business of Dealing in Firearms (18 USC § 922(a)), Narcotics Conspiracy (21 USC § 846), Murder for Hire (18 USC § 1958), Conspiracy to Deal in Firearms and Import Firearms (18 USC §§ 371, 922(a), 922(l))

Brandon JACKSON

Narcotics Conspiracy (21 USC § 846), Unlicensed Firearms Dealing (18 USC § 922(a)), Murder for Hire (18 USC §1958)

Marlon SULLIVAN

Narcotics Conspiracy (21 USC § 846), Unlicensed Firearms Dealing (18 USC § 922(a)), Murder for Hire (18 USC § 1958)

Rinn ROEUN

Unlicensed Firearms Dealing (18 USC § 922(a)), Murder for Hire (18 USC § 1958)

Alan CHIU, a/k/a Alan Shiu

Money Laundering (18 USC § 1956)

Kevin SIU

Money Laundering (18 USC § 1956)

Kongphet CHANTHAVONG, a/k/a “Joe,” a/k/a “Fat Joe”

Narcotics Conspiracy (21 USC § 846), Money Laundering (18 USC § 1956), Felon in Possession of a Firearm (18 USC § 922(g)), Possession of Narcotics with Intent to Distribute (21 USC § 841), Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (18 USC § 924(c))

Michael MEI

Possession of Narcotics with Intent to Distribute (21 USC § 846)

Andy LI

Money Laundering (18 USC § 1956), Narcotics Conspiracy (21 USC 846), Unlicensed Firearms Dealing (18 USC § 922(a)), Felon in Possession of Firearm (18 USC § 922(g))

Leslie YUN

Money Laundering (18 USC § 1956), Conspiracy to Traffic in Stolen and Contraband Cigarettes (18 USC §§ 371, 2315, 2342, 2344)

James PAU

Money Laundering (18 USC § 1956), Conspiracy to Traffic in Stolen and Contraband Cigarettes (18 USC §§ 371, 2315, 2342, 2344)

Jane LIANG

Conspiracy to Transport and Receive Stolen Property (18 USC §§ 371, 2315)

Tina LIANG

Conspiracy to Transport and Receive Stolen Property (18 USC §§ 371, 2315), Narcotics Conspiracy (21 USC § 846)

Brian TILTON

Conspiracy to Transport and Receive Stolen Property (18 USC §§ 371, 2315), Narcotics Conspiracy (21 USC § 846)

Ming MA

Conspiracy to Receive Stolen Property (18 USC §§ 371, 2315)

Hon SO

Conspiracy to Receive Stolen Property (18 USC §§ 371, 2315)

Norge MASTRANGELO

Money Laundering (18 USC §1956)

Albert NHINGSAVATH

Money Laundering (18 USC § 1956)

Serge GEE

Money Laundering (18 USC § 1956)

Xi Ling LIANG, a/k/a Elaine LIANG

Money Laundering (18 USC § 1956)

Gary CHEN

Money Laundering (18 USC § 1956)

Anthony LAI

Money Laundering (18 USC § 1956)

Tong ZHANG

Conspiracy to Traffic Contraband Cigarettes (18 USC §§ 371, 2342, 2344)

Zhanghao WU

Conspiracy to Traffic Contraband Cigarettes (18 USC §§ 371, 2342, 2344)

Barry Blackwell HOUSE

Dealing Firearms without a License (18 USC § 922(a)), Possession of Firearm by a Felon (18 USC § 922(g)(1))

WILSON SY LIM, a/k/a “Dr. Lim”

Conspiracy to Traffic in Firearms Without a License, and to Illegally Import Firearms, in violation of (18 USC §§ 371, 922(a)(1))

The maximum penalties for the violations are as follows:

18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(1) Twenty years in prison
Three years supervised release
$500,000 fine
$100 special assessment
18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(3) Twenty years in prison
Three years supervised release
$500,000 fine
$100 special assessment
18 U.S.C. § § 371,
2314, 2315
Five years in prison
Three years supervised release
$250,000 fine
$100 special assessment
18 U.S.C. § § 371, 2315,
2342(a), 2344
Five years in prison
Three years supervised release
$250,000 fine
$100 special assessment
18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(1)
Five years in prison
Three years supervised release
$250,000 fine
$100 special assessment
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)
Ten years in prison
Three years supervised release
$250,000 fine
$100 special assessment
18 U.S.C. §§ 371,
922(a)(1), 922(l)
Five years in prison
Three years supervised release
$250,000 fine
$100 special assessment
18 U.S.C. § 924(c)
From five years to life
Five years supervised release
$250,000 fine
$100 special assessment
18 U.S.C. § 1958
Ten years in prison
Three years supervised release
$250,000 fine
$100 special assessment
18 U.S.C. § § 1343,
1346, 1349
Twenty years in prison
Three years supervised release
$250,000 fine
$100 special assessment
21 U.S.C. § 841
From five years to forty years in prison
Four years supervised release
$5 million fine
$100 special assessment
21 U.S.C. § 841, 846
Five years in prison, with five or ten year
mandatory minimum in some instances
Three to five years supervised release
$250,000 to $10 million fine
$100 special assessment

An Indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendants are subject to the maximum penalties stated above. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

William Frentzen, Susan Badger, and Waqar Hasib are the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who are prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of a five-year investigation by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations Division, San Francisco Police Department, Oakland Police Department, and Antioch Police Department.


(Chow indictment )

 

 

Updated November 18, 2014

Press Release Number: Leland YEE