SAN FRANCISCO — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - California, Northern), published as received.
SAN FRANCISCO- Defendants Leslie Yun, James Pau, Rinn Roeun, Kevin Siu, Michael Mei, Elaine Liang, Tina Liang, and Barry House were sentenced for crimes committed in connection with the same indictment that eventually led to the trial and conviction of Raymond “Shrimp Boy” Chow, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The sentences were handed down yesterday by the Honorable Charles R. Breyer, U.S. District Judge, after the defendants each pleaded guilty to their respective roles in a scheme that resulted in a 230-count Second Superseding indictment filed by a federal grand jury on January 29, 2015.
The Second Superseding indictment charged Chow and 28 other individuals with crimes including money laundering, drug trafficking, trafficking in stolen liquor, firearms trafficking, and a host of other offenses. In addition, seventeen of the defendants were charged with conspiring to use a San Francisco Chinatown-based organization, the Chee Kung Tong, or CKT, to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity. At yesterday’s sentencing, Judge Breyer announced his finding that the government demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence that a part of the membership of CKT had engaged in a criminal racketeering enterprise as alleged in the Second Superseding indictment. In addition, Judge Breyer found that seven defendants—George Nieh, Leslie Yun, James Yat Wah Pau, Michael Mei, Elaine Liang, Tina Liang, and Kevin Siu—conspired with that enterprise.
The Second Superseding indictment was amended and eventually led to the trial and January 8, 2016, conviction of Raymond Chow, 56, of San Francisco. The jury found Chow guilty of every one of the 162 charges leveled against him.
Each defendant sentenced yesterday pleaded guilty prior to the Chow trial to crimes alleged in the Second Superseding indictment. In most cases, the defendant pleaded guilty to fewer than all the charges pending against that defendant. The offenses to which the defendants did not plead guilty remain pending. As to all such charges, the Second Superseding indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Judge Breyer handed down these defendants’ sentences as set out below:
|
Defendant Age/ Residence |
Charged in the Second Superseding Indictment |
Crimes to Which the Defendant Pleaded Guilty |
Sentence Imposed/ Charges pending |
|
Leslie Yun 51/Oakland |
18 U.S.C. § 1962 conspiracy to engage in RICO (1 count)
18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(3)(A) money laundering (34 counts)
18 U.S.C. § 371 conspiracy to traffic contraband cigarettes (3 counts)
21 U.S.C. § 846 Possession, manufacture and distribution of marijuana (2 counts) |
18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(3)(A) (5 counts)
18 U.S.C. § 371 (3 counts)
21 U.S.C. § 846 (3 counts) |
84 months in prison
18 U.S.C. § 1962 |
|
James Pau 58/Oakland |
18 U.S.C. § 1962 conspiracy to engage in RICO (1 count)
18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(3)(A) money laundering (18 counts)
18 U.S.C. § 371 conspiracy to traffic contraband cigarettes (2 counts)
21 U.S.C. § 846 Possession, manufacture and distribution of marijuana (1 count) |
18 U.S.C. § 371 (2 counts) |
72 months in prison
All other charges remain pending |
|
Rinn Roeun 34/San Francisco |
18 U.S.C. § 922(a) weapons trafficking (4 counts)
18 U.S.C. § 371 conspiracy to trafficking in weapons (1 count)
18 U.S.C. § 1958 murder for hire (1 count) |
18 U.S.C. § 922(a) (2 counts) |
72 months in prison All other charges remain pending |
|
Barry House 48/Pittsburg CA |
18 U.S.C. § 922(a) weapons trafficking (2 counts)
18 U.S.C. § 371 conspiracy to trafficking in weapons (1 count)
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) felon in possession (2 counts) |
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) (1 count) |
48 months in prison
All other charges remain pending |
|
Michael Mei 33/San Francisco |
18 U.S.C. § 1962 conspiracy to engage in RICO (1 count)
21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(B) possession and manufacture of marijuana (2 counts) |
21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(B) (2 counts) |
60 months in prison
All other charges remain pending |
|
Elaine Liang 55/San Francisco |
18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(1)(A) money laundering (16 counts)
18 U.S.C. § 1962 conspiracy to engage in RICO (1 count) |
18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(1)(A) (1 count) |
36 months in prison
All other charges remain pending |
|
Tina Liang 43/San Francisco |
18 U.S.C. § 1962 conspiracy to engage in RICO (1 count)
18 U.S.C. § 371 conspiracy to transport stolen liquor (1 count)
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) possession and manufacture of marijuana |
18 U.S.C. § 371 (1 count) 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) (1 count) |
18 months in prison
18 U.S.C. § 1962 (one count) remains pending
All other charges remain pending |
|
Kevin Siu 34/Daly City |
18 U.S.C. § 1962 conspiracy to engage in RICO (1 count)
18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(1)(A) money laundering (24 counts) |
18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(1)(A) (8 counts) |
12 months and 1 day in prison
All other charges remain pending |
In addition to the prison terms, Judge Breyer sentenced each defendant identified above, except for Micheal Mei, to three years of supervised release. Mei was sentenced to four years supervised release. The last remaining defendant to be sentenced is George Nieh; Judge Breyer scheduled Nieh’s sentencing hearing for July 11, 2018.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Frentzen, Susan Badger, S. Waqar Hasib, Kimberly Hopkins, and David Countryman prosecuted the case with the assistance of Rosario Calderon, Kurk Kosek, Ana Guerra, Marina Ponomarchuk, Victoria Etterer, Lance Libatique, and Bridget Kilkenny. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Marshal Service, San Francisco Police Department Gang Task Force; Oakland Police Department; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; Antioch Police Department; New York Police Department; Mercer County New Jersey Sheriff's Office; and the San Francisco and Alameda County Sheriff’s Departments.
