A Korean-American gang member who extorted money for protection money and assaulted karaoke bar owners in Los Angeles Koreatown for years has been sentenced to prison.
According to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Daekun Cho, also known as DK, was sentenced to 22 years and six months in prison at a sentencing hearing on August 16. In addition to the prison term, the judge ordered Cho to pay $245,867 including restitution of $241,167 and a special assessment of $5,700, which is collected from offenders convicted of federal crimes.
The jury convicted Cho in March after being indicted on 57 felony counts, including interference with business by intimidation, racketeering, and carjacking.
“Extortionists who seek to profit through violence are on notice that we will use federal tools to hold them accountable and the consequences will be severe,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada.
Federal prosecutors, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) worked undercover for a year before arresting Cho.
“Our commitment to reducing violent crime in our cities is reflected yet again with the result of this sentencing,” said Eddy Wang, HSI’s Los Angeles Special Agent. “HSI’s collaboration with our state and local partners is crucial to our mission of ensuring public safety in Southern California.”
From 2018 through March 2023, Cho demanded “protection” money ranging from $100 to $1,000 per month from karaoke bar owners and female hostesses in Koreatown.
Cho has been known to send death threats, beat them with baseball bats, and even fired a gun if they refused to pay.
There are an estimated 20 karaoke bars in Koreatown. Karaoke owners say Cho extorted millions of dollars from them over the years.
At the time of his arrest, Cho possessed a loaded firearm with safety disengaged, a knife, and baseball bats.
Federal prosecutors, HSI, the LAPD, and others mobilized the federal Special Response Team (SRT), a heavily armed team, to arrest Cho. The complaint was written by HSI’s Korean-American Special Agent in Charge Michael Choi.
BY YEOL JANG, HOONSIK WOO [jang.yeol@koreadaily.com]
