Opinion ID: 674597
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Gang Structure and Operation

Text: 5 BTK was an organized street gang that committed violent crimes, principally robbery and extortion. Thai was BTK's leader from 1988 until his arrest in August 1991. He oversaw BTK's operations, planned many of its crimes, and collected the proceeds of its activities. Lan Tran and LV Hong were Thai's principal assistants. Lan Tran helped supervise the other gang members and often participated in the gang's crimes. LV Hong was responsible for internal discipline and for overseeing most of BTK's extortion activities. 6 The membership of BTK consisted almost entirely of young Vietnamese males. They lived in safehouses in groups of 5-10, with their living expenses paid by Thai and other gang leaders. Discipline was strict, and gang members who disobeyed orders or who were suspected of cooperating with the police or of keeping the proceeds of robberies for themselves, instead of turning them over to Thai, suffered violent retribution. Thai and LV Hong often participated directly in these disciplinary actions. 7 The geographic center of BTK operations was New York City's Chinatown. Many of the robberies and extortions took place on or near Canal Street in that area, though the gang had cells outside of New York as well. Virtually all of the gang's robbery and extortion targets were Asian, largely because of the gang's belief that such victims don't know much about the law and they don't complain to the police. (Trial Transcript (Tr.) 521.) The robberies were usually planned by Thai, who typically selected the participants and the victims, planned the timing and manner of the robbery, and provided weapons. 8 The extortions, concentrated in the Canal Street area, consisted in part of BTK members' collecting an average of $20 or more per week from each of the Asian store owners and sidewalk merchants on Canal Street. From a small number of other merchants in the area, they would also collect up to several hundred dollars at a time. Typically two or more gang members would enter a store and demand money from the owner. One of the gang members would record the store address and the amount received. LV Hong oversaw the operation, and at the end of the day, the money that had been collected was turned over to him. LV Hong was responsible for dealing with recalcitrant merchants. Those who did not comply with BTK's demands were beaten or robbed.