Leader of Violent Chinese Gang Convicted in Manhattan Federal Court of Racketeering and Racketeering Conspiracy
Defendant Convicted for Racketeering Acts of Murder, Attempted Murder, and Narcotics Trafficking
| U.S. Attorney’s Office July 13, 2011 |
PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that GUANG JU LIN, a long-time leader of a violent Chinese gang based principally in New York City and Los Angeles, was found guilty today in Manhattan federal court of racketeering and racketeering conspiracy, including racketeering acts of murder, attempted murder, narcotics trafficking, and operating illegal gambling businesses. In particular, LIN was convicted for his participation in the November 2001 attempted murder of Jian G. Liu in Manhattan Chinatown and the August 2006 murder of Xiu Kang Xiao in Los Angeles. U.S. District Judge SIDNEY H. STEIN presided over the three-week jury trial.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney PREET BHARARA said: “The jury’s swift verdict in this case takes a lethally dangerous criminal who left a number of victims in his wake off the streets.
Today’s verdict makes clear that those who so flagrantly and repeatedly violate the law will be punished.”
According to the trial evidence and other documents filed in the case:
In the late 1990s, LIN joined a powerful Chinese gang based in New York City’s Chinatown that was led by Huang Ming Yong, who was known to his gang underlings and among Chinese organized crime figures as “Ah Jun” and “Brother Zhong.” LIN rose to become a trusted lieutenant of Ah Jun and developed his own following of gang underlings. LIN helped run a series of illegal gambling parlors, engaged in numerous extortions, and distributed a variety of narcotics, including Ecstasy and ketamine.
On November 19, 2001, LIN, along with fellow gang member YUDI LIU, brought two loaded handguns to a Manhattan Chinatown restaurant and fired numerous shots at Jian G. Liu, the leader of a rival gang. He and a two year-old bystander were injured. Only three weeks later, on December 11, 2001, YUDI LIU stabbed Danny Cabezas, a security guard at a Flushing, New York, club, to death after LIN, LIU, and other gang members engaged in a fight with Cabezas.
Immediately following the murder of Cabezas, LIN fled New York City and eventually settled in Los Angeles. Once there, he was joined by other members of the gang, and also recruited new members. With this extension of the gang in Los Angeles, LIN continued to operate illegal gambling parlors and traffic in narcotics.
On August 23, 2006, LIN, along with three other members of his gang, brutally stabbed, beat, and shot to death Xiu Kang Xiao, who had been engaged in a business dispute with one of LIN’s gang underlings.
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LIN, 34, of Los Angeles, California, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for October 13, 2011.
On March 11, 2011, YUDI LIU pled guilty to murder in aid of racketeering in connection with the December 2001 murder of Danny Cabezas. Charges against JUN YUN XIAO and JUN QI XIAO, for racketeering offenses including the Los Angeles murder of Xiu Kang Xiao, are pending before Judge STEIN.
Mr. BHARARA praised the work of the FBI’s Asian Organized Crime Task Force, comprised of Special Agents of the FBI and Detectives of the New York City Police Department, for their work on the investigation. Mr. BHARARA also thanked the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Monterey Park, California Police Department for their assistance.
This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys NATALIE LAMARQUE and DANIEL CHUNG are in charge of the prosecution.