Members of Illegal Gambling Ring Plead Guilty and Forfeit Over $156,000 in Proceeds

SACRAMENTO—United States Attorney Lawrence G. Brown announced today that SARET NOSAR, 57, of San Gabriel, KANARY KHIN, 54, of Long Beach, and PANG YEAN, 66, of Modesto, pleaded guilty today to conducting an illegal gambling business between September 2006, and October 2008, in the Counties of San Joaquin and Stanislaus and in the Los Angeles area. SOMACHY KEO, 48, of Modesto, pleaded guilty to the same charge on August 25, 2009. The guilty pleas were entered before United States District Judge John A. Mendez.

This case is the product of an extensive investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice, Division of Gambling Control, and a continuing partnership between state and federal law enforcement agencies to vigorously investigate and prosecute illegal gambling operations.

According to Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin B. Wagner and Camil A. Skipper, who prosecuted the case, the gambling business involved illegal lottery games based upon the California Daily Three lottery numbers and illegal sports betting. SARET NOSAR, KANARY KHIN, and PANG YEAN are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Mendez on November 24, 2009, at 9:30 a.m. SOMACHY KEO is scheduled to be sentenced on November 17, 2009, at 9:30 a.m. The maximum statutory penalty for conducting an illegal gambling business is five years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. However, the actual sentence will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables, and any applicable statutory sentencing factors.

The prosecution of NOSAR, KHIN, YEAN and KEO follows an earlier, similar federal prosecution of persons involved in an illegal gambling business in this district. In 2006 and 2007, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, and Division of Gambling Control conducted a lengthy joint investigation that resulted in seven persons being convicted of federal felony offenses and an additional eleven persons being convicted of misdemeanor offenses in Sacramento and Yolo County Superior Courts. The federal convictions included guilty pleas by Prasert Somsinsawasdi and his wife Noy Somsinsawasdi for conducting an illegal gambling operation. Prasert Somsinsawasdi, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison, also pleaded guilty to money laundering. The defendants in that case forfeited over $350,000 in illegal gambling proceeds.

In a related matter, Youn You, Vanna Chin, Kongchanh Keopadapsy, and Vath Ngonevongsa, all of Stockton, pleaded guilty in San Joaquin Superior Court on April 14, 2008, to misdemeanor gambling offenses.