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An Orange County crime activity power investigation into unlawful casinos in California has led to seven arrests and three indictments. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
Seven arrests, three indictments
An investigation into unlawful casinos in California by the Orange County Asian Organized Crime Process Power has led to seven arrests and three federal indictments.
In line with the US Lawyer’s Workplace (USAO) for the Central District of California, the indictments occurred Wednesday after 5 arrests on the identical day, and two on Tuesday. On Thursday, the USAO Los Angeles shared information of the indictments protecting a spread of prison actions by way of Twitter:
One of many indictments the DOJ unsealed alleges a number of unlawful casinos in Santa Ana, and cites a violent altercation at one such institution throughout which an worker was shot within the neck.
4 defendants — Niem Ngoc Ha, 46, Mindy Bui, 36, Honganh Thi Pham, 40, and Sammy Cardona, 36 — had been charged with conspiracy and working an unlawful playing enterprise that allegedly raked in hundreds of {dollars} in income per day.
The opposite indictments are for theft and extortion introduced towards two males, and a drug trafficking cost involving a on line casino in Anaheim, which was introduced towards one girl and two males.
The DOJ experiences two defendants nonetheless at massive.
California scheming
The unlawful on line casino indictment that features Ha, often known as “Dung Physique,” and “Peanut” Cardona is probably the most eye-catching. Allegations are that Ha, from Fountain Valley, based and ran 4 unlawful casinos in Santa Ana. According to the DOJ’s news release, Ha’s costs embrace bribery.
to assist shield Ha’s “illicit casinos from legislation enforcement intervention”
The DOJ accuses the allegedly crooked on line casino kingpin of paying round $128,000 to the now-convicted, ex-Santa Ana police officer Steven Lopez to assist shield Ha’s “illicit casinos from legislation enforcement intervention.” Lopez, who has already pleaded responsible to pocketing the bribe, gave Ha the heads-up in 2020 that the police had been planning to close down one among his casinos.
Bui and Thi Pham, in the meantime, allegedly managed Ha’s casinos. Cardona, one of many defendants nonetheless on the run, stands accused of being Ha’s muscle, and “would use violence to guard defendant Ha’s illicit casinos.”
In line with the DOJ, unlawful casinos like these Ha was accused of working fall into two classes. “Nets” are the unlawful casinos positioned in industrial districts, whereas “slaphouses” consult with these in residential areas.
United States Lawyer Tracy L. Wilkison mentioned that unlawful playing dens “are a breeding floor for drug trafficking, violence and even police corruption.” She added that the assorted legislation enforcement businesses concerned will proceed work to “eradicate this blight in our communities.”
Extortion and trafficking
The second indictment charged two males over an extortion scheme that allegedly additionally focused unlawful casinos in industrial areas, aka nets. The pair allegedly claimed to be “mafia,” and stole digital playing machines price $14,000, plus roughly $3,500 in money.
The third indictment stems from alleged drug trafficking linked to a on line casino in Anaheim. All three suspects received hit with costs that diverse from conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, to possession with intent to distribute heroin.
In line with the LA DOJ’s launch, the statutory most penalties for unlawful playing enterprise and theft and extortion are ten and 20 years in federal jail, respectively. The methamphetamine offenses, nevertheless, carry a compulsory minimal sentence of ten years in federal jail, with a possible sentence of life. The heroin trafficking cost comes with a statutory 20-year most sentence.
Assistant Director in Cost of the FBI’s Los Angeles Area Workplace, Kristi Johnson, mentioned the “defendants flouted the legislation and used enforcers with rival gangs to get victims to conform by way of the usage of intimidation and violence.”
Santa Ana Police Chief David Valentin mentioned the outcomes got here from “a years-long in depth investigation with our native, state and federal companions.”