Assassin for Chinese mob gets 25 years after turning rat
A cold-blooded killer was sentenced to 25 years in the slammer today after helping the feds bring down the head of a notorious Chinese gang based in Queens.
Hoa Duc Nguyen, who turned rat after becoming the first fugitive extradited from China in 2003, admitted taking part in at least three murders for his vicious criminal mentor, Hui Sin "Frank" Ma.
Two of those killed were innocent victims mistakenly targeted during a botched 1994 hit on a Toronto drug dealer who got marked for death in a double-cross involving Ma's main heroin supplier.
"I want to say I'm sorry to the government for all the trouble that I caused, and I want to say I'm sorry to the victims," Nguyen, 46, said in Manhattan federal court.
Defense lawyer Anthony Ricco urged leniency for Nguyen, who once faced the death penalty, citing both his valuable cooperation and the childhood traumas that led him down a path of drug addiction and violent crime.
Ricco said Nguyen grew up "in the midst of the Vietnam War" after being abandoned by his parents, then watched his cousin drown after tumbling off a boat while they fled the country during the fall of Saigon.
After spending time in rural Pennsylvania refugee camp, Nguyen was sent to a foster home where he was "whipped, chained and kept in the basement" Ricco said.
And while he has three children, Nguyen hasn't seen them since deciding to cooperate five years ago, and is afraid to learn their whereabouts for fear they will be killed in retaliation.
Prosecutor Michael Rosensaft also sought a break for Nguyen, saying he "obviously has a very extensive and horrific criminal history," but "no doubt saved lives in the end" by switching sides.
Judge Deborah Batts -- who in 2010 sentenced Ma to life behind bars -- noted that Nguyen had pleaded guilty to charges in four separate indictments, but imposed his punishment without elaboration.
Hoa Duc Nguyen, who turned rat after becoming the first fugitive extradited from China in 2003, admitted taking part in at least three murders for his vicious criminal mentor, Hui Sin "Frank" Ma.
Two of those killed were innocent victims mistakenly targeted during a botched 1994 hit on a Toronto drug dealer who got marked for death in a double-cross involving Ma's main heroin supplier.
"I want to say I'm sorry to the government for all the trouble that I caused, and I want to say I'm sorry to the victims," Nguyen, 46, said in Manhattan federal court.
Ricco said Nguyen grew up "in the midst of the Vietnam War" after being abandoned by his parents, then watched his cousin drown after tumbling off a boat while they fled the country during the fall of Saigon.
After spending time in rural Pennsylvania refugee camp, Nguyen was sent to a foster home where he was "whipped, chained and kept in the basement" Ricco said.
And while he has three children, Nguyen hasn't seen them since deciding to cooperate five years ago, and is afraid to learn their whereabouts for fear they will be killed in retaliation.
Prosecutor Michael Rosensaft also sought a break for Nguyen, saying he "obviously has a very extensive and horrific criminal history," but "no doubt saved lives in the end" by switching sides.
Judge Deborah Batts -- who in 2010 sentenced Ma to life behind bars -- noted that Nguyen had pleaded guilty to charges in four separate indictments, but imposed his punishment without elaboration.
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