14 Gang Members Sentenced to Die
China kicked off an intensified crime crackdown by sentencing to death 14 members of a notorious gang blamed for the bloodiest crime spree in the nation’s modern history.
State television broadcast the sentencing of gang leader Zhang Jun and 10 accomplices, including five women, in the western city of Chongqing. Other defendants were sentenced at a court in nearby Changde. Zhang’s trial began a week ago. Four others were given lesser sentences.
Zhang’s gang is blamed for the deaths of 28 people during 22 robberies of banks and jewelry stores across central China that netted $670,000.
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
