Court sentences 23 organized crime gang members to prison

The Changchun Intermediate People's Court, Northeast China's Jilin province, sentenced 23 organized crime gang members to prison terms ranging from two and half a years to 25 years for committing 12 types of crime on Monday.

The court also confiscated all of their personal property or imposed fines on the criminals. Property involving the gang's cases, valued at over 300 million yuan ($44.9m), will be recovered or confiscated.

Liu Lijun, the gang's ringleader, was found guilty of nine crimes, including organizing and leading mafia-style organizations, intentional homicide, extortion, forcing transactions, offering bribes, and forging or buying and selling armed forces certificates. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison and deprived of his political rights for five years. Liu's gang was busted in April 2018.

Liu was sentenced for hooliganism in the 1980s. After being released from prison, he still participated in criminal activities. With his family ties and interests as the bond, Liu and the backbone member of the organization, Zhang Hongtao, roped in others by offering money, contracting projects, arranging jobs for the family members of his members, and lending in the common name of others and forming the criminal organization.

In past years, Liu's organization offered high-interest loans to several businessmen in Yushu, Jilin province, then used violent means, such as extortion, and forced transactions to threaten and harass victims when collecting the money. Many of the victims were frightened by the organization and did not report them to police.

Also, 46 public servants were penalized for being involved in Liu's cases and providing convenient conditions and protection for the crimes.

The court said that the gang's activities seriously disrupted the order of the local real estate industry and financial industry, and resulted in a bad impact on society.