The leaders of a suspected Korean street gang in Fairfax County are accused of beating up and threatening to extort business owners in Northern Virginia.
A federal grand jury handed up indictments for Han Sa Yu, 43, the alleged head of the Korean Night Breeders, and Je Hyung Yoo, 29, the organization’s alleged enforcer.
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They were each charged with conspiracy to commit extortion, attempted extortion and four counts of extortion. Each offense carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison, prosecutors said.
Yu, who is also known as Thunder, is a citizen of South Korea and a permanent resident living in Fairfax. Yoo, who goes by Justice, is an illegal immigrant living in Rockville, authorities said.
Members of the Korean Night Breeders were sometimes known as “Thunder’s Little Brothers.”
According to the indictment, the gang targeted taxi businesses, restaurants and the owners of a “doumi” business in the area around Annandale, which has a large Asian population.
A doumi is a Korean term referring to women who flirt and provide companionship to customers at bars and karaoke clubs for a fee.
Fairfax County police began investigating the extortion activities of the Korean Night Breeders in November.
The owner of an unlicensed taxi service told police that he paid the gang about $500 a month so he could operate in around Annandale, which has a large Asian population. When he failed to make a payment, the gang showed up at the Seoul Plaza in Annandale and beat up the cab driver, according to court papers.
When a restaurant owner refused to pay $200 to $300 a week for “protection,” the Korean Night Breeders showed up and Yoo pulled out a collapsible baton, documents said.
“You know what will happen if you don’t pay,” Yoo told the restaurant owner, according to charging documents.
The owner called police, and Yoo called him and said, “I’m not afraid of the police. I’ll do jail time. Calling the police is just going to hurt you,” documents allege.
Another time, according to charging documents, Yu punched a doumi operator in the face, knocked him to the ground, stood over him and said, “You got hit because you are doing business in my neighborhood without my permission.
Law enforcement officials said Yoo, who has been in the U.S. illegally since 1994, has been convicted on drug-dealing charges and sentenced to three months.
Yoo was also arrested last year for burglary, assault against a family member, and credit card fraud and theft.
Immigration officials filed a detainer against Yoo to have him deported.
