‘Shrimp Boy’ Chow gets life in prison for murder and corruption in San Francisco Chinatown case
Prosecutors said Hong Kong-born triad leader, convicted of 162 charges, had ‘dedicated his entire life to organised criminal activity’
Raymond “Shrimp Boy” Chow - the dragonhead of a San Francisco Chinatown triad group was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for murder and other charges stemming from a massive corruption case that cost millions in taxpayer dollars and infiltrated the city’s political establishment.
A federal jury in January found Chow, 56, guilty on 162 counts — including racketeering, robbery, aiding and abetting the laundering of drug money and conspiring to deal in the illegal sales of goods. Prosecutors sought a life term “because Chow has dedicated his entire life to organised criminal activity, violent crime and using others for his own power and personal enrichment.”
In a sentencing memorandum, they said that “Chow has refused at every opportunity to accept any responsibility or express any remorse for his actions,” while portraying himself as a community activist dedicated to helping Chinatown’s youth.
“Most [criminals] are true to their nature: violent gangsters, but openly so,” prosecutors said. “Chow was a wolf in sheep’s clothing for years — not even true to himself.”
The investigation that led to Chow’s arrest and prosecution swept up numerous others, including Democratic state Senator Leland Yee.