Peter Chong
Encyclopedia
Peter Chong (born in 1943) is a former prisoner convicted of racketeering and extortion
, described by prosecutors as the former leader of the Wo Hop To
syndicate in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is serving 11½ years, including over three years for an overturned criminal conviction for involvement in a plot to hire the murder of Bike Ming, boss of the Boston Ping On organization. Although the murder for hire conviction was overturned in 2005 by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals due to a lack of monetary payment to the killers, evidence of proof of involvement was taken to support additional prison time for the racketeering charge. Prior to the appellate decision, the 2003 criminal trial had sentenced him to 15 years for conspiring to contract a murder, participating in a racketeer influenced and corrupt organization, and several counts of extortion.
Now in his early 60s, Chong came to the U.S. from Hong Kong
in 1982, ostensibly to start a Chinese opera
company, but was accused in court documents of becoming the boss of the Wo Hop To
(和合桃) crime syndicate in Northern California, a gang involved in loan sharking and extorting protection money from restaurants and gambling dens. Prosecutors alleged that the plot to murder Bike Ming was part of a plan with Wayne Kwong and Raymond Kwok Chow
to form an umbrella organization called Tien Ha Wui ("Whole Earth Association"), that would dominate crime in Chinatowns throughout the U.S. He fled to Hong Kong days before his indictment in 1992, but was extradited to the U.S. in 2000.
In 2002, Chong was found guilty of racketeering, murder-for-hire, extortion
, and arson
, and was sentenced to fifteen years and eight months in prison. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later overturned his conviction, saying there was not enough evidence of a murder-for-hire plot. However, he was sentenced to eleven and a half years on the remaining charges. Chong was released from prison on July 29, 2008.
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
, described by prosecutors as the former leader of the Wo Hop To
Wo Hop To
Wo Hop To is Triad group based in Wanchai, Hong Kong. The name translates to "Harmoniously United Association" or "Harmonious Union Plan" and is thought to have been founded in 1908 in Sai Ying Pun as a secret political organization in opposition to the Qing Dynasty...
syndicate in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is serving 11½ years, including over three years for an overturned criminal conviction for involvement in a plot to hire the murder of Bike Ming, boss of the Boston Ping On organization. Although the murder for hire conviction was overturned in 2005 by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals due to a lack of monetary payment to the killers, evidence of proof of involvement was taken to support additional prison time for the racketeering charge. Prior to the appellate decision, the 2003 criminal trial had sentenced him to 15 years for conspiring to contract a murder, participating in a racketeer influenced and corrupt organization, and several counts of extortion.
Now in his early 60s, Chong came to the U.S. from Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in 1982, ostensibly to start a Chinese opera
Chinese opera
Chinese opera is a popular form of drama and musical theatre in China with roots going back as far as the third century CE...
company, but was accused in court documents of becoming the boss of the Wo Hop To
Wo Hop To
Wo Hop To is Triad group based in Wanchai, Hong Kong. The name translates to "Harmoniously United Association" or "Harmonious Union Plan" and is thought to have been founded in 1908 in Sai Ying Pun as a secret political organization in opposition to the Qing Dynasty...
(和合桃) crime syndicate in Northern California, a gang involved in loan sharking and extorting protection money from restaurants and gambling dens. Prosecutors alleged that the plot to murder Bike Ming was part of a plan with Wayne Kwong and Raymond Kwok Chow
Raymond Kwok Chow
Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow, born Kwok Cheung in 1960 in Hong Kong, is a Chinese American former triad member who once was the second-highest ranking member of the American branch of the Hong Kong-based triad Wo Hop To...
to form an umbrella organization called Tien Ha Wui ("Whole Earth Association"), that would dominate crime in Chinatowns throughout the U.S. He fled to Hong Kong days before his indictment in 1992, but was extradited to the U.S. in 2000.
In 2002, Chong was found guilty of racketeering, murder-for-hire, extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
, and arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
, and was sentenced to fifteen years and eight months in prison. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later overturned his conviction, saying there was not enough evidence of a murder-for-hire plot. However, he was sentenced to eleven and a half years on the remaining charges. Chong was released from prison on July 29, 2008.
External links
- Gangland Episode 15 http://www.history.com/minisites/gangland - History Channel Gangland (TV series)Gangland (TV series)Gangland is a documentary television series that airs on The History Channel. It usually airs on Thursday evenings although it has been known to arbitrarily change days every so often. Gangland explores the history of some of America's more notorious gangs. It premiered on November 1, 2007 with a...
episode focuses on these events.