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A California state Senator indicted last week for his alleged role in a money laundering and gambling scheme, attempted to broker an international arms deal with a US Federal agent all the while pushing gun control in the state.
The FederalBureau of Investigation arrested Yee last Wednesday morning, along with infamous Chinatown gang leader Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow and 24 other individuals.
Perhaps empowered by the series of successful multi-thousand-dollar transactions, Yee upped the ante — and in the process dug himself a far deeper hole with the FBI.
Medium.com had an excellent take on this:
In August, according to the government’s account, (former president of the San Francisco school board Keith Jackson) told the agent posing as a mobster that Yee had a contact in the international arms trade. This kind of connection, subsequent conversations would show, could be worth $100,000 — or more — to the senator.
This new Yee enterprise emerged even as the senator was pushing gun control in Sacramento, the latest of his unsuccessful attempts to strengthen California’s assault-weapon ban. In interviews, Yee frequently talked about soldiering on despite vehement criticism — even death threats — from the gun lobby.
“This is not an easy issue,” Yee told KPIX-TV in 2012. “But I am a father, and I want our communities to be safe, and God forbid if one of these weapons fell into the wrong hands.”
Yet Yee would not only offer but insist on being the conduit between the supposed mobster and automatic weapons equivalent to military M16 rifles, the government maintains.
Official charges against Yee include six counts of attempting to defraud citizens of honest services, and conspiracy to traffic in, and illegally import firearms.
Maximum penalties for the firearms charges include 10 years in prison and $500,000 in fines. Penalties for each of the fraud charges could carry a penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.
Yee represents Senate District 8, which includes the western half of San Francisco and most of San Mateo County.
Chow was cited in the complaint for his role in collecting money from gambling dens in both Hong Kong and San Francisco. Authorities allege Chow also orchestrated a murder-for-hire plot.
Perhaps empowered by the series of successful multi-thousand-dollar transactions, Yee upped the ante — and in the process dug himself a far deeper hole with the FBI.
In August, according to the government’s account, Jackson told the agent posing as a mobster that Yee had a contact in the international arms trade. This kind of connection, subsequent conversations would show, could be worth $100,000 — or more — to the senator.
This new Yee enterprise emerged even as the senator was pushing gun control in Sacramento, the latest of his unsuccessful attempts to strengthen California’s assault-weapon ban. In interviews, Yee frequently talked about soldiering on despite vehement criticism — even death threats — from the gun lobby.
“This is not an easy issue,” Yee told KPIX-TV in 2012. “But I am a father, and I want our communities to be safe, and God forbid if one of these weapons fell into the wrong hands.”
Yet Yee would not only offer but insist on being the conduit between the supposed mobster and automatic weapons equivalent to military M16 rifles, the government maintains.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
