By Richard Krupp, PhD
PACOVILLA Corrections blog
November 17, 2015
A while back we reported on the antics of former state Senator Yee and his friend Shrimp Boy Chow.
While most of the culprits have taken deals, The Shrimp Boy is headed to trial. The long running federal investigation sounds like a Hollywood movie considering the murder-for-hire, gun-running, etc charges.
Also, the cast of characters who weave in and out of the story is a who’s who of well-known people. The latest chapter of the story added a former football hero.
How can these things happen? How can reputable people be sucked into a criminal vortex?
I know little about football great Joe Montana, but doubt that he knowingly had anything to do with criminal shrimp antics.
It appears that Mr. Shrimp had been passing himself off as a reformed criminal doing good things for the community.
On the surface Mr. Shrimp sounds like a character liberals in the limelight would be attracted to. The allure of the “reformed” criminal can be rather compelling.
Here are some highlights from a recent Los Angeles Times article:
‘Shrimp Boy’ Chow federal trial begins in Bay Area
The racketeering and murder-for-hire trial of Raymond “Shrimp Boy” Chow, dragonhead of Chinatown’s Ghee Kung Tong, opened in a San Francisco federal courtroom Monday, with attorneys for both sides pressing a number of motions in advance of opening statements.
Federal prosecutors contend Chow, 55, who previously served time for racketeering and violent crimes, never reformed his ways after he turned government witness and was released early from prison in 2003.
“Operation Whitesuit,” named after the outfit Chow wore to the 2006 funeral of his Ghee Kung Tong predecessor, Alan Leung, ultimately captured more than two dozen others in its widening net. Key among them was former state Sen. Leland Yee, who pleaded guilty last summer to accepting bribes in exchange for political favors, laundering campaign contributions and plotting to traffic in weapons.
Former 49ers quarterback Joe Montana and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee were among the others captured on wiretap recordings in connection with the broad probe. Neither faced charges.
Half a dozen of Chow’s co-defendants pleaded guilty in September. Chow, however, has vowed to mount a vigorous defense. He faces dozens of counts of money laundering, trafficking in contraband cigarettes and stolen liquor and being part of a violent criminal organization. He also stands accused of arranging the killing of Leung, and conspiring to arrange the killing of another man, an alleged gang rival who was shot to death in Mendocino County along with his wife two years ago (for full story read http://tinyurl.com/olcp26v.)
Sometimes well-known, wealthy, and powerful people are drawn to help “reformed” criminals. We have seen this recently when the Los Angeles Police Department shuttled prison inmate/gang member/murderer Rene Enriquez around to make speeches to police chiefs, business leaders, etc.
Maybe Mr. Shrimp has the same celebrity-appeal that draws in mayors, football players, senators, etc.
In the coming weeks, it will be interesting to see how the cast of characters move in and out of this drama. How will they explain their connections to the major players?
Perhaps Mr. Shrimp is just a poor unfortunate victim of an over-aggressive and exuberant federal investigation. That would be quite a twist if he is found not guilty after many of his co-defendants plead guilty to various charges.
No comments:
Post a Comment