A Chinese man was robbed and put under house arrest after exchanging currency at his house on 8th Avenue in Brooklyn. The police arrested four men and charged them with it.
In August of this year, an alarming incident took place in Brooklyn when Cheoak Wah Eng, a Chinese-American man, set out to exchange currency at a residence located on 8th Avenue. What was supposed to be a simple transaction quickly escalated into a nightmare when four armed men threatened him. Eng was robbed of his cash, a $1,300 smartphone, and a $2,500 gold ring, and subsequently confined for over nine hours.
Police were alerted and quickly apprehended the suspects. The district attorney has charged the four individuals with robbery, attempted robbery, threats, and possession of a deadly weapon. A protection order has also been issued for the victim, and the case is scheduled to go to trial in December.
On August 16, around 4 PM, Eng arrived at an apartment located at 909 East 59th Street in Brooklyn carrying cash. Upon his arrival, he was confronted by four Chinese men who held him at gunpoint and forcibly dragged him inside the apartment. Not only did they demand his money, but they also sought access to Eng’s banking information in an attempt to steal more from him. When he refused, they held him captive for nearly ten hours, releasing him late into the night.
Once freed, Eng immediately contacted the authorities. Officers from the 66th precinct responded to his report and arrested the four suspects, who have been identified as Yong Lin, 42, Ronghui Jiang, 31, Mingguo You, 34, and Eric Chen, 23.
Court documents released by the Kings County Criminal Court reveal that Yong Lin faces a total of 15 charges, including first-degree robbery, second-degree robbery, attempted robbery, grand larceny, possession of stolen property, and harassment. He has been released on bail for $7,500 or a bond of $50,000. The other three suspects have each been charged with more than ten offenses, including robbery, attempted robbery, making threats, using illegal weapons, and harassment, also released on bail amounts of $7,500 or a bond of $15,000.
Court scheduling shows that hearings for Mingguo You and Eric Chen are set for December 9, followed by Ronghui Jiang on December 11, and Yong Lin on December 18.