U.S. Department
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Press Release
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.
Updated November 18, 2014
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