US jails 2 for life over Chinese new year execution-style killing of businessman
- Chris Xin Gu was waiting for an Uber after a celebration dinner when he was gunned down on a New York street by a hired killer
- The plot’s mastermind and the getaway driver were each given mandatory life sentences at Wednesday’s hearing
Two men received mandatory life sentences on Wednesday in a murder-for-hire case in the heavily Chinese neighbourhood of Flushing, New York that involved professional jealousy, millions of dollars’ worth of property and an after-hours karaoke party.
Qing Ming Yu, who also used the name “Allen,” and Zhe Zhang, also known as “Zack,” were sentenced by US District Judge Carol Bagley Amon for their roles in the 2019 killing of Xin “Chris” Gu, 31.
Yu and Zhang were convicted in October last year of murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire conspiracy. Their lawyers were not immediately available for comment after Wednesday’s sentencing
“Allen Yu set out to kill Xin Gu because he started a rival business and Zhang agreed to carry out the execution-style murder without hesitation,” said Breon Peace, US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, where the case was heard.
“Driven by greed and revenge, they hired a hitman to commit a brutal murder of a young man, traumatising the victim’s family.”
According to prosecutors and court documents, Yu was president of Amaco, a multimillion-dollar property company that renovated flats in New York City. Gu joined the company in 2015 as a project manager.