Dorchester guy gets seven years for kidnapping and beating man over gambling debt
A federal judge this week sentenced Quang Le, 27, to seven years in federal prison after he admitted to attacking and threatening to kill a man who owed him and his associates $40,000 in unpaid gambling debts.
Three other Dorchester men - Ban Tran, 26; Vinh Huynh, 35 and Kim Nguyen, 25 - have pleaded innocent to the charges of kidnapping, conspiracy to collect extensions of credit by extortionate means and operating an illegal gambling business and wait trial in US District Court in Boston, the US Attorney's office reports.
According to an affidavit by an FBI agent who investigated the case, which says at least one other man, still unidentified, may have been involved, the men kidnapped the victim on Nov. 14, 2016 because he allegedly owed Huynh the money for losses on bets on sporting events. They took his wallet, phone and passport and drove him to the Mather School in Dorchester, where Huynh and Li held his arms as other men hit him in the stomach, head and back. They then drove him to his house and tossed him out of the car, after demanding he pay at least $10,000 by the next day or else.
The man went to the FBI, which agreed to give him money with which to pay off some of the debts as the bureau collected evidence against the men, the affidavit continues. The victim was not killed the next day, after he agreed to pay the $10,000 within three days - which the men then agreed to put off again. Finally, on Nov. 28, the victim handed $1,000 in FBI money to Le and then began payments of up to $1,000 at a time over the next several months, during which the FBI listened in as the men exchanged curse-laden threats against the victim and war stories of life as a punk, such as the times when they used to push women down to grab their purses as they flew out of the victim's hands - except that one time when the woman fell, but kept a firm grasp on her purse.
Complete FBI affidavit in the case (10.8M PDF).
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Comments
Whatever
Gambling should be legal. Then their wouldn't be a need for illegal gambling rings.
Kinda cavalier there
Whatever? Maybe you're right, but in the meantime, a guy got kidnapped, beaten up and threatened with death. Sounds like a good reason for punishment.
Gambling is legal
The state is the biggest bookie in Massachusetts.
And why beat the man in a
And why beat the man in a school yard, the site of one of the oldest educational institutes in America? I wish people would stop using my neighborhood as the setting for stupidity. Gambling and violence are a sickness, not badass. These men are not in a Hong Kong Mob Movie, they need to get a clue.
Wonder what the original principal was?
?
Originally
There was only one teacher, for all grades together. No principal at all.
Just Saying
This idiot shouldn't be betting $40,000 that he doesn't have. I guarantee if he won the $40,000 instead of losing it he would of gladly collected off them. Feeling bad for this victim is nonsense i doubt the guys put a gun to his head and made him place the bets. I got an idea dont call bets in you cant afford to lose then you wont get slapped around in the schoolyard and have to become a government informant.
So
you’re okay with the torture and threats of murder?
It may be illegal, but no
It may be illegal, but no sympathy for the victim here. Gamble money you don't have, and then run to the FBI when you can't pay.
When you can’t pay
and you’re going to be killed tomorrow if you can’t pay, I imagine that would focus your mind on alternatives. Going to the FBI sounds like a good one, good for him and good for us. I mean, he’s not exactly a hero, but he’s not the worst person in this story.
You are, of course, taking the bookie’s word as to what was owed him.
Right?
How do you let the sap run up a $40K tab? Is this society ever going to run efficient credit markets, or no?