SAN FRANCISCO- A federal grand jury indicted Las Vegas resident Wen Bing Lei, aka Raymond Lei, aka Black Raymond, aka Skinny Raymond, for murder in aid of racketeering, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. According to the indictment filed today, the defendant was a member of the Chee Kung Tong (CKT), a predominantly Chinese-American association based in San Francisco’s Chinatown. The indictment accuses Lei, 50, of aiding, abetting, and causing the death of Allen Leung, one of the association’s previous leaders.
According to the indictment, the CKT is an organization formed in the late 1800s primarily for civic purposes. The indictment alleges that while some of CKT’s members are involved strictly in legal functions and activities of the organization, other members were involved in illegal activities including narcotics distribution, assault, robbery, extortion, collection of unlawful debts, murder for hire, money laundering, trafficking in stolen goods, illegal firearms possession, and obstruction of justice. The indictment further alleges that members protected and expanded the enterprise’s criminal operation by using violence, including murder, solicitation to commit murder, assaults, intimidation, and threats of violence directed against those who would act against CKT, its members, and its associates. Allegedly, on February 27, 2006, Lei conspired with other members of CKT to aid, abet, and commit the murder of Allen Leung. Among the purposes listed in the indictment for Lei’s involvement in the murder is to gain entrance to, and to maintain and increase his position in, the CKT. Lei is charged with one count of murder in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(1).
Lei currently is in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons on other charges and will be transported to the Northern District of California to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim on January 31, 2017.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Frentzen is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Bridget Kilkenny. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.