Local Residents Among 24 Indicted in Drug, Racketeering, Gambling Ring

Law enforcement officers seized more than $1.3 million in cash when they busted an international drug and sports gambling ring operating in Southeast Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.

Sam V. Hunyh, 34, of Morton Grove was charged with "conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute in excess of 1,000 kilograms of marijuana," according to the Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Sanders' press release.

Cmdr. Mike Fujara of the  confirmed with Patch on Thursday.

"Morton Grove officers and federal officials arrested [Hunyh] at 5:50 a.m. on May 24," he said.

Residents from Skokie and Niles were also involved.  

A Simple Tip

A simple tip sparked the yearlong investigation, United States Attorney James Santelle said at a press conference Thursday morning.

The investigation culminated May 24, in a massive operation spanning several states and involving more than 150 law enforcement officers from more than 14 agencies. They executed more than 18 search warrants and arrested 23 people. One person from Los Angeles is still at large.

In total, officials said, 35 people have been charged in connection with this investigation. The 23 people arrested May 24 face charges of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute controlled substances, operating an illegal gambling business and interstate travel in aid of a racketeering enterprise.

"Much More High-Tech"

This was a “much more high-tech” operation than what they’ve seen before, Santelle said, using phone calls and text messages to place and take bets on national and local sports teams. Santelle called the operation “fairly sophisticated.”

Couriers shuttled drugs from Seattle and British Columbia to the Midwest, he said, and the cash from gambling proceeds back the other way. He deferred to Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Sanders to give specifics about the gambling enterprise.

The details have not been included in any public documents at this point, but have been revealed to some extent in court, Santelle said. Individuals in the gambling enterprise were divided into cells, Sanders said.

People in Seattle texted odds out to other contacts, who would then forward them down the line. That process took about 10 minutes, he said. Within 30 minutes, Sanders said, calls would go back up the chain with bets coming in from gamblers.

Vu Nguyen, of Oak Creek, Sanders said, would then “communicate with [people in] Chicago and go over wins and losses.”

Investigation is Not Over

Santelle declined to share information about the people placing the bets, but said the operation was bringing in tens of thousands of dollars each week. The investigation, he said, is not closed.

“It could lead to future charge or investigative work,” he said. “The message should be clear to anyone out there, all these people are out there to identify, investigate and prosecute these cases.”

In addition to the cash, officials seized about 25 pounds of marijuana, jewelry worth more than $250,000, vehicles worth more than $250,000, marijuana packaging materials, drug and gambling ledgers, two firearms and a bulletproof vest.

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Charged with conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and
distribute in excess of 1,000 kilograms of marijuana are:
Hoa Q. Nguyen, 52, Mount Pleasant, WI
Vu Q. Nguyen, 28, Oak Creek, WI
Tu C. Ly, 25, Oak Creek, WI
Vinh V. Trinh, 44, Los Angeles, CA
An N. Nguyen, 34, Skokie, IL
Huy Han, 33, Skokie, IL
John Nguyen, 26, Chicago, IL
Hoang P. Nguyen, 32, Chicago, IL
Thanh K. Lai, 37, Chicago, IL
Phuc K. Tran, 34, Elk Grove Village, IL
Hien T. Tran, 32, Elk Grove Village, IL
Sam V. Hunyh, 34, Morton Grove, IL
Quan C. Hoac, 35, St. Cloud MN
Michael S. Harmon, 61, Seattle, WA
Sourideth Joe Chansomphou, 38, Milwaukee, WI
Tien D. Nguyen, 36, Milwaukee, WI
Reno A. Nguyen, 36, Franklin, WI
If convicted, each faces 10 years to life in prison, up to $10 million
in fines and five years to life on supervised release.

Charged with operating an illegal gambling business are:
Hoa Q. Nguyen, 52, Mount Pleasant, WI
Vu Q. Nguyen, 28, Oak Creek, WI
Tu C. Ly, 25, Oak Creek, WI
An. N Nguyen, 34, Skokie, IL
Huy Han, 33, Skokie, IL
Hoang P. Nguyen, 32, Chicago, IL
Thanh K. Lai, 37, Chicago, IL
Khanh N. Lam, 42, Franklin, WI
Laura T. Phan, 40, Wauwatosa, WI
Hoang Hoang, 49, Milwaukee, WI
Binh J. Nguyen, 38, Oak Creek, WI
Tony V. Tran, 43, Germantown, WI
Kevin S. Ho, 41, Mequon, WI
If convicted, each faces up to five years in prison, up to a $250,000
fine and up to three years on supervised release.

Charged with interstate travel in aid of a racketeering enterprise are:
Jimmy D. Ho, Niles, IL
Quan C. Hoac, 35, St. Cloud, MN
If convicted, each faces up to five years in prison, up to a $250,000
fine and up to three years on supervised release.