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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
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Lawyers for ‘Shrimp Boy’ Violated Court Seal, Feds Say

SAN FRANCISCO (CN) - Accused Chinatown gangster Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow's lawyers violated a protective order when they said the FBI allowed San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee to get away with taking bribes from undercover agents while unfairly targeting their client in a federal racketeering probe, federal prosecutors said.

The government on Tuesday asked U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer to seal a motion to dismiss and related exhibits filed by Chow's attorneys - also on Tuesday - claiming the documents revealed information sealed under a protective order.

Breyer said he needed more information and ordered the government to specify how the information in the motion to dismiss and accompanying exhibits violate the protective order, and how federal wiretap procedures apply.

In the motion to dismiss, lawyers J. Tony Serra, Curtis Briggs and Greg Bentley said Lee "took over $20,000 from federal agents in his first four months in office and hit the ground running as mayor with an enormous amount of reported gifts including paid trips across the world."

Chow's attorneys added, "The FBI alleged in discovery that Ed Lee took substantial bribes in exchange for political favors and that human rights commissioners Nazly Mohajer and Zula Jones hustled in these bribes for the mayor."

Jones allegedly told the FBI that former mayor Willie Brown taught Lee how to do business. The document filed by Chow's lawyers reports her to have said, "You pay to play here. We got it. We know this. We are the best at this game; uh, better than New York. We do it a little more sophisticated than New Yorkers. We do it without the Mafia."

Inquiries sent to Lee's office regarding the allegations by Chow's lawyers were referred to spokesman P.J. Johnston from Lee's re-election campaign.

"We have reviewed today's filing," Johnston said in a statement on Tuesday. "While it appears others may have tried to engage or ensnare Mayor Lee, and any number of other people, in their own wrongdoing, there's absolutely nothing in today's filing by Raymond Chow's attorneys that suggests that Mayor Lee himself or his 2011 campaign did anything wrong or inappropriate. Mayor Lee's campaign is committed to following the letter and spirit of all campaign finance laws.

"If and when the mayor's campaign receives specific information from the government about any questionable contributions, we will take immediate and appropriate actions," Johnston said.

The filing also implicates San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency employee Sululagi Palega, who allegedly sold a gun to an FBI agent identified as UCE-4599. Palega allegedly met with the agent on March 21, 2013, handed him a Sees Candy box containing a gun and said, "Enjoy the candy."

Chow's legal team claims the government was jealous of the gangster's political influence as a community leader and "pop culture icon," and his attempts to profit from his life story through book and film rights.

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