SAN JOSE – LAWFUEL- The Law Newswire – United States Attorney Scott N. Schools announced that Roger Li, 54, and Robert Kwong Wong, 58, were sentenced on June 11, 2007, respectively, to 24 months imprisonment (Li) and 18 months imprisonment (Wong) for their involvement in separate conspiracies to harbor illegal aliens and commit extortion under color of official right. In addition, Li was sentenced for his involvement in committing tax evasion, and Wong was sentenced for his involvement in laundering proceeds derived from the business which employed the illegal aliens. These sentences are the result of an investigation by agents of the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, the San Francisco Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division.
Mr. Wong pleaded guilty on January 24, 2005 to conspiracy to harbor aliens, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(A)(v); conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right affecting interstate commerce, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a); and conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h). According to the plea agreement, Mr. Wong admitted to participating in this criminal conduct while working with Sang Ye Han, in arranging for the importation of Korean women into the United States to work at the club he and Han jointly operated, the Ok Yeo Bong club in Sunnyvale.
According to the plea agreement, Wong further admitted that he knew Ms. Han had reached an agreement with a Sunnyvale Police Officer, David Miller, in which she provided him with money and trips in exchange for receiving inside information, protection, and debt collection assistance from Officer Miller. This assistance included information on upcoming law enforcement searches and inspections of the Ok Yeo Bong, and assistance from Officer Miller if an Ok Yeo Bong employee or customer got in trouble with the law. Wong also laundered the proceeds of the Ok Yeo Bong operation by writing checks to cash on a regular basis and then using the cash to pay the illegal alien employees “under the table” with cash payments rather than with payroll checks.
Mr. Li pleaded guilty on February 13, 2006. Mr. Li pleaded guilty to conspiracy to harbor aliens, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1), conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right affecting interstate commerce, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), and tax evasion, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7201.
According to the plea agreement, Mr. Li admitted to participating in this criminal conduct while working with co-defendant Sue Yun Song in arranging for the importation of illegal aliens to work at the Crystal Palace club in Sunnyvale.
According to the plea agreement, Mr. Li further admitted that he knew Ms. Song had reached an agreement with a Sunnyvale Police Officer, David Miller, in which she provided him with money and trips in exchange for receiving inside information, protection, and debt collection assistance from Officer Miller. This assistance included information on upcoming law enforcement searches and inspections of the Crystal Palace, and assistance from Officer Miller if a Crystal Palace employee or customer got in trouble with the law. Li also took affirmative steps to evade taxes on the income earned from the Crystal Palace.
The sentences were handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Ware following the guilty pleas of Mr. Li and Wong. Both defendants will begin serving their sentences on August 10, 2007.
Mr. Miller was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), for his part in these offenses. On May 7, 2007, Judge Ware sentenced Mr. Miller to one year and one day in prison.
Jeff Nedrow is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Susan Kreider. The prosecution is the result of a two-year investigation by the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, the San Francisco Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division.
Further Information:
Case #:CR 02-20107-JW
