San Francisco Man Pleads Guilty to Extortion
Extorted Chinatown Business Owner Through use of Force and Fear

SAN FRANCISCO—Michael Tsan pled guilty in federal court in San Francisco today to interfering with commerce by threats and violence, United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced.

In pleading guilty, Tsan admitted that he extorted a Chinatown business owner through the use of force and fear and attempted to induce the victim to part with property. On March 19, 2010, Tsan demanded protection money from the victim who operated a Mah-Jong parlor in San Francisco’s Chinatown district. Tsan had been collecting protection money from the victim in prior months, but on this occasion the victim refused to pay it. The victim reported that when she attempted to call 9-1-1, Tsan grabbed the telephone from her hand and struck her, then threatened her life. As part of the plea, Tsan agreed to the sentencing enhancements for the threat of death and bodily injury, and for obstruction of justice.

As part of his plea, Tsan also admitted that while he was in custody following his arrest, he obstructed justice by calling an acquaintance from jail and encouraging him to make false statements to officers of the court. In an attempt to obtain his release pending trial, Tsan encouraged the acquaintance to falsely represent that he employed Tsan at his business.

Tsan, 40, of San Francisco, was charged by a criminal Information on Aug. 27, 2010. He was charged with and pled guilty to one count of interference with commerce by threats or violence in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a).

Tsan has been in custody since his arrest by the San Francisco Police Department's Gang Task Force on April 6, 2010. The sentencing of Tsan is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. on Nov. 17, 2010 before U.S. District Court Judge Charles R. Breyer in San Francisco. The maximum statutory penalty for the violation of interference with commerce by threats or violence in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a) is 20 years in custody and a fine of $250,000. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court 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 and Derek Owens of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Organized Crime Strike Force are the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Marina Ponomarchuk. The prosecution is the result of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s San Francisco Organized Crime Squad and the San Francisco Police Department’s Gang Task Force—including Inspectors Henry Seto and Jameson Pon and Officers Ignatius Chinn and Charles Wong. U.S. Attorney Haag and FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Douglas would like to thank the SFPD Inspectors and Officers for their hard work.

Further Information:   

Case #: 10-0634 CRB
A copy of this press release may be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s website at www.usdoj.gov/usao/can.