Han Sa Yu, 44, a resident of
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
"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 (
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
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
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.
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