California State Sen. Leland Yee isn't the most interesting figure nabbed in a new FBI sting
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California State Sen. Leland Yee (D) was arrested by the FBI on Wednesday, accused of bribery, illegal arms dealing, and other crimes. Yee, 65, represents District 8 in the Bay Area, and he's a candidate for secretary of state.
The most intriguing figure in this case isn't Yee, though, but rather Raymond Chow, an organized crime figure known as Shrimp Boy. (Do we want to know how he got that nickname?) Chow, 54 (wouldn't that make him Shrimp Man?), was also arrested as part of Wednesday's sting. He has a checkered past; according to court documents, he's sold heroin, was involved in extortion and racketeering, and spent more than seven years in prison after an armed robbery conviction. Since Chow's release, he has allegedly lived a double life: authorities say that while he was speaking to students about the dangers of a criminal life, he was still playing a leadership role in the global Asian gang the Triad. Read all about the charges against Yee, Shrimp Boy, and other alleged associates at the Los Angeles Times.
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Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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