Virginia Korean Gang Leader Sentenced to 210 Months for Extortion, Violence, and Organized Crime

Han Sa Yu, 44, a resident of Maryland who is originally from South Korea, was sentenced Friday, February 1, 2013, to 210 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for extorting Korean businesses operating in Annandale, Va. Yu also agreed to pay more than $98,000 in restitution to the victims of his extortion. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. and assisted by the Fairfax County Police Department.

Yu pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion on Nov. 9, 2012, and was sentenced Friday, February 1, 2013. Yu founded the Korean Night Breeders (KNB) to carry out extortions of various businesses in Annandale. The KNB targeted businesses owned by persons of Korean descent and frequently sought out businesses that employed illegal aliens.

"HSI (Washington, D.C.) is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to combat violent gangs who prey upon those in our communities," said Special Agent In Charge John P. Torres. "Today's sentencing of Yu sends a message that extortion, especially under the threat of violence, will not be tolerated. HSI (Washington, D.C.) will continue to identify, investigate and dismantle gangs who are a threat to public safety."

The KNB also sought out Korean taxi drivers, karaoke bars, restaurants and billiard halls to extort cash. Many business owners were assaulted and others threatened in an effort to instill fear in their victims.

The gang members frequently would dress in black suits, which became their recognized uniform. They would surround an extortion victim to further instill fear and implicitly threaten victims. From one victim alone KNB extorted more than $30,000. Various restaurants in Annandale either paid extortion or provided free food and drink to the gang.

Yu, also known as "Thunder" and "Bungay," modeled the gang after Asian organized crime syndicates. He sometimes would hold weekly meetings where the gang would discuss potential victims, and Yu would teach fighting techniques and his extortion protocol. The size of the gang varied over time, but at times had 15 or more members. Yu and his gang used the extortion proceeds to purchase marijuana and cocaine, among other things.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Frank and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc J. Birnbaum prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

This investigation was part of HSI's Operation Community Shield initiative. Operation Community Shield partners with existing federal, state and local anti-gang efforts to identify violent street gangs and develop intelligence on gang members and associates, gang criminal activities and international movements to arrest, prosecute, imprison and, or deport transnational gang members. HSI's National Gang Unit's goal is to deter, disrupt and dismantle gang operations by tracing and seizing cash, weapons and other assets derived from criminal activities.

Since the inception of Operation Community Shield in February 2005, HSI special agents working in conjunction with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies nationwide have arrested more than 29,366 street gang members and associates linked to more than 2,300 different gangs. At least 40 percent of those arrested had a violent criminal history. More than 374 of those arrested were gang leaders. Through this initiative nationally, HSI has seized 4,137 firearms. 

Operation Concord Arrests 30 Boston Gang Members for Drug and Firearms Charges

Over 300 federal, state and local law enforcement officers carried out arrests and executed search warrants early the morning of Thursday, January 17, 2013, in Operation Concord, a large-scale collaborative investigation into the violence and distribution of drugs by the Hendry Street and Woodward Avenue gangs and their associates who terrorized residents in the Bowdoin-Geneva section of Dorchester, Mass., and the Uphams Corner section of Roxbury, Mass. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was an integral part of the operation, working alongside their federal, state and local law enforcement partners in arresting these gang members.

"This effort shows our collective resolve in Boston and the Commonwealth to attack and dismantle these dangerous street gangs," said Bruce M. Foucart, special agent in charge of HSI Boston. "For too long, gangs here and elsewhere have used violence and intimidation to hold communities hostage. As this operation shows, now it's the gang members who have something to fear."

"This community has been in desperate need of reprieve from the violence. We hope the arrests and prosecution of the defendants will quiet the streets and improve the quality of life for all residents," said U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz, District of Massachusetts.

"Today is a great day for the hardworking people of Bowdoin-Geneva and Uphams Corner," said Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. "Thanks to their help, and the help of our law enforcement partners, drugs have been taken from our streets, and these violent individuals who profit from harming others will no longer terrorize our neighborhoods."

Teams of law enforcement arrested a total of 27 people on Thursday, January 17, 2013:

• Twenty-five from the local area;
• One from California; and
• One from Maine.

Two other defendants are already in custody on federal supervised release violations and one remains a fugitive. Search warrants were executed at 12 locations.

As stated in court documents, the investigation, which involved controlled drug purchases, surveillance and a wiretap, began in the summer of 2011. It is alleged that the defendants have been involved in gang, gun and drug activity in the Bowdoin-Geneva corridor or other areas of Dorchester and Roxbury at the direction of Alexis Hidalgo, 31, of Dorchester, and Jonathan DaSilva, 29, of Roxbury. Wiretap evidence was a crucial component of the investigation and provided investigators with information regarding the alleged partnership between Hidalgo, alleged leader of the Hendry Street gang, and DaSilva, alleged leader of the Woodward Avenue gang.

Hidalgo and DaSilva are alleged to be responsible for the distribution of kilos of crack cocaine and thousands of oxycodone pills throughout greater Boston, as well as hundreds of pounds of marijuana, which they branded as high-grade and sold for up to $5,200 a pound. In a wiretap recording, a "mother-load" shipment of drugs was described in a call intercepted between Hidalgo and his associate. It is alleged that Hidalgo responded by saying, "You just got us indicted bro. If they are listening, I sell weed man."

"From the Berkshires to Cape Cod, the FBI and our law enforcement partners actively analyze and investigate hot spots of gang activity in Massachusetts. As a result, we have concluded several lengthy gang investigations over the past year like today's, which targets the Hendry Street and Woodward Avenue gangs," said Richard DesLauriers, special agent in charge of the FBI, Boston Field Division. "Because of today's multiple arrests, neighborhoods in Boston and several surrounding cities and towns are safer now than they were mere hours ago. Our unified law enforcement goal is to eradicate the scourge of gang activity which adversely impacts the safety of our communities."

"This case demonstrates, working with our law enforcement partners, we are keeping the pressure on violent criminals involved in the drug trade," said Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis. "We will not tolerate these defendants and others like them from terrorizing our neighborhoods. We are committed to rooting out the bad actors who make our communities unsafe."

 "The Massachusetts Department of Correction is committed to working with other criminal justice agencies in a joint effort to ensure public safety," said Luis S. Spencer, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Correction.

U.S. Marshal John Gibbons said, "The success of this investigation demonstrates the excellent working relationships the federal government shares with its state and local partners."

Special thanks to Suffolk (Mass.) District Attorney Daniel Conley and members of his office and the numerous local law enforcement agencies who provided substantial cooperation and assistance throughout the course of the investigation and during the execution of the arrests and searches Thursday, January 17, 2013.