Johnny Eng
Johnny Eng (born ca. 1958) (Chinese: 伍少衡; Jyutping: ng5 siu3 hang4), also known as Onionhead (Chinese: 蔥頭; Jyutping: cung1 tau4) or Machinegun Johnny,[1] is a Hong Kong-born American criminal. He is a former Manhattan triad leader and drug dealer.
Johnny Eng | |
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Born | c. 1958 (age 61–62) |
Other names | Onionhead, Machinegun Johnny |
Occupation | Triad member |
Spouse(s) | Lori Eng (d. 2011) |
Conviction(s) |
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Criminal history
Eng was arrested at least five times in the 1970s.[1] In 1983, Eng became the leader of the Flying Dragons.[2] By 1988 he had moved into the heroin trade in Manhattan's Chinatown. A confidential report issued by the Justice Department called Eng "one of the five major heroin dealers in New York City."[1] A native of Hong Kong,[3] Eng was 31 years old in 1989,[1] when he fled to that city to avoid arrest and prosecution.[3] He was arrested there in 1989. Eng fought extradition for nearly three years, but was brought to the United States in 1991.[4] In December 1992, Eng was convicted of 14 counts of heroin smuggling and conspiracy.[3]
In March 1993, Eng was sentenced to 24 years in prison and fined $3,500,000 by Federal District Court judge Reena Raggi.[5] The government also confiscated Eng's 200 acre estate in Newfoundland, Pennsylvania, which was reported to have been used for machine gun practice by members of the Flying Dragons.[6][7] He was released several years early on 8 November 2010.
Murder of wife
On July 13, 2011, Eng's wife Lori Eng (Chinese: 伍羅美玲) was fatally shot by another Flying Dragons member, David Chea (Chinese: 謝錦徵), at her apartment in Flushing, Queens, New York. Chea then committed suicide.[8]
References
- Butterfield, Fox (4 Mar 1989). "A New Gang's Violent Role in Chinatown". New York Times: 29.
- Chin, Ko-lin (16 February 2000). Chinatown Gangs: Extortion, Enterprise, and Ethnicity. Oxford University Press. p. 153. ISBN 978-0-19-513627-2. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
- Lubasch, Arnold H. (15 December 1992). "Ex-Head of Chinatown Gang Is Guilty of Leading Drug Ring". New York Times: B3.
- Faison, Seth (12 April 1994). "Chinatown Gang Leader to Be Returned to U.S". New York Times: B1.
- "Reputed Gang Leader Gets Prison Term". New York Times: 43. 7 March 1993.
- James, George (22 November 1994). "33 Suspected Chinatown Gang Members Are Indicted: Racketeering charges are called major blow to the Flying Dragons". New York Times: B1.
- http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/951/461/258111/
- Mongelli, Lorena (14 July 2011). "Heated argument ends in murder-suicide in Queens". New York Post. Retrieved 11 August 2012.