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Gang leader accused of targeting Asian families in Western Australia charged

The leader of a gang accused of a series of armed robberies targeting Asian families and his accomplice have been indicted, federal officials said Thursday. The crimes were committed in King, Snohomish and Skagit counties and include one murder.

Kevin Thissel, 28, and Christopher Johnson, 23, were charged in federal court with RICO and RICO conspiracy, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington Tessa M. Gorman. Under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, a person can be charged with organized crime if he or she commits at least two organized crime acts (such as bribery, fraud or extortion) within a 10-year period. Gorman's statement said the indictment outlines a pattern of violent crimes allegedly committed by Thissel, Johnson and their co-conspirators.

This is the first time in 17 years that federal prosecutors in Western Washington have charged someone under the RICO law.

Thissel, known as “Big Jefe,” which means “Big Boss,” is considered the leader of the gang. Both men have been in state custody and have been or will be transferred to federal custody.

Johnson appeared in federal court on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to the two RICO charges.

How the gang leader and his accomplices chose their victims

“The prosecution alleges that these men targeted and robbed certain families in the summer of 2022. To create a climate of fear, these men broke into their homes in the middle of the night, dressed in black, with guns drawn, and posing as police officers,” Gorman said in the press release. “The primary motive of this gang of robbers was money – they stole any valuables they could loot from these homes.

According to the documents, the gang targeted Asians because they considered them “weaker.” Prosecutors said they spent time researching their victims on social media and checking out homes in advance.

“Any crime that targets a specific group of people is particularly disturbing and heinous,” King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall said, according to the press release.”

When they decided to rob the families, officials said they broke in, threatened them with a gun and then ransacked their homes, taking jewelry, important documents, cash and more.

As Gorman explained in his press release, each member of the robbery gang had a specific job: to surveil the victims' homes, act as drivers, kick down doors, corral the family, hold the victims at gunpoint, and search the homes for valuables. Some of the people involved in this brutal robbery were minors.

In one case, Snohomish County Sheriff's Office officials said in a separate news release that Thissel and Johnson were charged in the Aug. 19, 2022, death of 36-year-old Everett mother Irah Sok. Officials said Sok was shot while her 7-year-old child was in bed next to her. The suspects also bound the victim's husband with zip ties and forced him to the ground. They gained entry to the Everett home by kicking in the front door and forcing their way in.

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The suspects are expected to face charges in state court of first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree robbery, first-degree theft of a weapon and unlawful possession of a weapon.

“These senseless acts of violence have deeply shocked our community and left a young child without his mother,” Snohomish County Sheriff Susanna Johnson said in the statement.

In another case, court documents report that on July 28, 2022, gang members allegedly kidnapped a woman in Kent, took her to several ATMs and forced her to withdraw cash for the suspects.

Officials also stated that on May 24, 2022, the suspects allegedly kidnapped a Mount Vernon boy after robbing his family while armed.

Thissel is also accused of shooting a former boxer at a Tacoma Golden Gloves event.

On February 17, at around 10:20 p.m., a shooting occurred at the Oasis of Hope Center. A 52-year-old man was shot multiple times and taken to a local trauma center.

An investigation by the Tacoma Police Department (TPD) revealed that the shooting occurred in the event's parking lot after a verbal altercation between members of various boxing clubs inside the venue.

Police report: Crime reporting in the Puget Sound region and beyond

More information about the crimes in this case

The crimes occurred between May and August of that year in Mount Vernon, Burien, Kent and Everett. Court documents indicate that the gang was also active outside of Western Washington, particularly in Arizona.

As part of joining the gang, authorities said members had to commit at least two such robberies or other organized crimes.

Prosecutors said there were co-conspirators who helped them carry out these crimes, including children who the gang assigned the task of driving away stolen cars and relaying messages between members.

There are other members of the gang. Authorities say they have already identified some of them, but others have apparently managed to evade arrest.

Federal investigators are working to recover all stolen items.

Sam Campbell is a reporter, editor and anchor at KIRO Newsradio. Read more of Sam's stories here. Follow Sam on Xor send him an email here.

Contributors: Bill Kaczaraba and Steve Coogan, MyNorthwest

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