7 Gang Members Convicted of Murder
Seven members of the Asian Boyz street gang were virtually guaranteed a lifetime in prison Tuesday as a Los Angeles Superior Court jury found all of them guilty of murder, setting the stage for possible capital punishment for four of them.
After a four-month trial, the Van Nuys jury convicted the gang of six murders and 10 attempted murders during a series of deadly ambushes on a rival gang. The jury failed to convict on only one count.
Two gang members turned state’s evidence, and their credibility was the key issue in the trial. Defense attorneys claimed that the pair committed the shootings themselves.
In two weeks, a separate penalty trial will begin for the four defendants facing a possible death penalty--Bunthoeun Roeung, Sothi Menh, Roatha Buth and Son Thanh Bui. David Evangalista, Ky Tony Ngo and Kimorn Nuth will be sentenced separately in several weeks.
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