Opinion ID: 1194868
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Peter Yuan (Count 4)

Text: Peter Yuan came to the United States in 1988. He worked as a tour guide from 1993 to 2001, and currently wholesales tickets to tourist destinations in the New York City area. Shi invited Yuan to dinner at the Jade Palace in 1999 or early 2000 and told him he wanted Yuan to find investors for a new store Shi intended to open. Shi's wife bragged about his underworld connections. Yuan, intimidated, said he'd think about it. He did not seek out investors, and over the next few weeks received phone calls from Shi asking about his progress in collecting money. Yuan tried to avoid him but eventually Shi took him again to the Jade Palace and confronted Yuan, telling him that with a phone call he could have ten or twenty little brothers there. Yuan said he would try, but did not. After Shi opened his gift shop, he told Yuan that he must bring his tours only to his store, and threatened to slash his tires if he refused. Yuan's tires were slashed, and he began bringing his groups to the No. 1 Gift Shop. After Yuan was accosted and threatened by two of Shi's young men, he stopped conducting tours. Nevertheless, Shi demanded protection money if Yuan wanted to do business in New York. For seven months Yuan paid $300 each month. Yuan attended another dinner at the Jade Palace at Shi's invitation, along with several other tour guides. Shi demanded that the tour guides accompany him to a karaoke bar, where he introduced Lin as one of his gang. Lin threatened to photograph the face and license plate of any tour guide who didn't patronize Shi's store. In January 2002 Shi required Yuan to attend a Chinese New Year banquet at the Jade Palace along with about fifty other tour guides. While they were eating a group of thirty to forty youths dressed in black paraded into the restaurant and sat down at several tables. Lin was among the group. At one point one of the group began chanting a slogan, and all of the group stood up and began chanting together. Shi continued to threaten Yuan once he began wholesaling tickets, telling him he would send his little brothers to his home to break his legs. In the fall of 2002 Yuan essentially did not leave his home for fear of what Shi and his gang might do to him. At Zhang's request Yuan made a digital recording of Shi and Lin on Xiao's recorder. The Government and the defense stipulated to the admission of the recordings and accuracy of the English translation, with one exception, a phrase attributed to Lin, whose translation he disputed.