US gang leader faces life sentence in Vietnam
Prosecutors requested a court held in Binh Thuan southern province on January 3 to impose a life sentence on Mark Joseph Nguyen, an alleged leader of a gang robbing a jewelry shop last October.
The Vietnamese-American had been charged with robbery and stealing property.
According to the indictments, Joseph had rented a hotel room in Ho Chi Minh City to operate a wine business. On October 14, he drove his Vietnamese accomplices including Nguyen Phuoc Hai, 34, Nguyen Bao Quoc, 33, and Huynh Quoc Thai, 23, in a car to rob Thu Thanh gold shop on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, Cho Lau town in Binh Thuan province.
The gang stole about 1.2 kg of gold and injured the shop owner before fleeing. Nguyen Mark Joseph was arrested soon after, Hai and Thai were seized later the same day, and Quoc handed himself in three days later.
The four had pleaded guilty to the robbery.
At the trial today, the prosecutors also proposed a jail term of 22 to 24 years on Hai for robbery and stealing property as Joseph’s and a jail term of 19 to 21 years to Thai for robbery and selling property obtained in a criminal way.
Quoc, 33, and Kien faced 18 to 19 years and 9 to 10 years respectively for robbery.
Meanwhile, Truong Minh Toan faced 3 to 4 years behind bars for selling property obtained in a criminal way.
Lawyer of defendant Phuoc Hai told the court that Mark Joseph Nguyen acted as the leader of the gang because he spent money buying weapons and rented a car for robbery purposes. Meanwhile, Joseph’s lawyer said both his customer and Hai leaded the gang because the two jointly worked out a plan to rob.
The court is expected to make the verdict on the next trial on January 4.
Interpol has confirmed that Nguyen Mark Joseph aka Khanh is a criminal in the US who has been also wanted internationally.
The fugitive, also known as Nguyen David Ty or Nguyen Hung Quoc, was born in 1976 in Arkansas, the US, Interpol said.
In 2007 he joined a drug gang in Houston which produced and distributed methamphetamine and ecstasy, two synthetic drugs, and was in charge of transporting and delivering the drugs.
He set up a trading company pretending to be a businessman, but actually used it as a place to hide drugs and deal with drug traders and gang members.
The US police busted the gang and in 2009 Judge J. Williams of the Texas Court issued an international wanted notice for Nguyen Mark Joseph for trafficking and storing drugs. If found guilty, he could be sentenced to up to 40 years, the court said.
Tuoi Tre
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