NEWS_ARTICLE.RttP{News Article: Cambodian Drug Dealers BUSTED! (IN MY TOWN Berwick, ME, FINALLY!)}

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nh/pdfreleases/AUG05/OperationFangFinal.pdf

U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
District of New Hampshire
Federal Building 603/225-1552
55 Pleasant Street, Room 352
Concord, New Hampshire 03301
MEDIA RELEASE Contact: Thomas P. Colantuono
For Immediate Release United States Attorney
August 10, 2005 Mark E. Howard
Assistant U.S. Attorney
(603) 225-1552
NEW ENGLAND ORGANIZED CRIME
DRUG ENFORCEMENT TASK FORCE (“OCDETF”)
MULTIPLE ARRESTS IN DRUG TRAFFICKING INVESTIGATION
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE: United States Attorney Tom Colantuono and June
W. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Boston Field
Office announced that multiple individuals from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine
face federal conspiracy charges arising from a multi-agency investigation conducted under the
auspices of the New England Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”).
Criminal Complaints and arrest warrants were issued between August 3, and August 10,
2005, charging over 25 individuals with Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
(Ecstasy, marijuana and cocaine) in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846, and possession with intent
to distribute a controlled substance (cocaine, Ecstasy) in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841 (a) (1).
During the investigation, which lasted nearly two years and included a court-authorized
wiretap of three cell phones allegedly utilized by Chamroeun Van, Sim Say, and Yoeun Vin to
oversee the alleged conspiracies, DEA agents made undercover drug purchases from several
individuals, and executed search warrants and civil seizure warrants in New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, and Maine, seizing over 22,000 MDMA tablets, aka “Ecstasy”, two (2)
kilograms of cocaine, over $30,000. in cash, and four (4) firearms.

The following individuals have been arrested and face maximum sentences of 20 years
imprisonment, as well as maximum fines of up to $1,000,000.00.

• CHAMROEUN VAN a/k/a “VK”, 28, of Berwick, ME, was arrested by agents on
August 8, 2005. He appeared before the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire
on August 8, 2005 and August 10, 2005 and was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals
Service pending indictment and trial.

• YOUEN VIN, 43, of Lowell, MA, was arrested by agents on August 8, 2005. He
appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of NH on August 8, 2005, and was detained
without bail pending a hearing on August 10, 2005.

• ENG SREY, 42, of Lowell, MA was arrested by agents on August 8, 2005. He appeared
in U.S. District Court for the District of NH on August 8, 2005 and August 10, 2005, and was
detained without bail pending indictment and trial.

• SOREASEY SOEUR, 22, of Berwick, ME was arrested by agents on August 8, 2005.
He appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of NH on August 8, 2005 and has been
detained pend
ing a further hearing on August 16, 2005.

• YASY SONEOU, 21, of Berwick, ME, was arrested by agents on August 8, 2005. He
appeared before the U.S. District Court for the District of NH on August 8, 2005 and has been
detained pending a further hearing on August 11, 2005.

• NARIN VAN, 26, of Berwick, ME was arrested by agents on August 8, 2005. She
appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of NH on August 8, 2005, and has been released
on bail conditions pending indictment and trial.

• VALERIE VIENGNGEUNE, 21, of Sanford, ME, was arrested by agents on August 8,
2005. She appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of NH on August 8, 2005, and has
been released to the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office pending indictment and trial.

• CHRISTOPHER CORTEZ, 33, of Dover, NH, was arrested by agents on August 8,
2005. He appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of NH on August 8, 2005, and was
released to the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office pending indictment and trial.

• ALEXANDER LOSSING, 29, of Sanford, ME, self-surrendered to the U.S. Marshal on
August 9, 2005. He appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of NH on August 9, 2005,
and was released to the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office pending indictment and trial.

• PHOEN “TAZZ” LANG, age unknown, of North Berwick, ME, was arrested by agents
on August 8, 2005. He appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of NH on August 8, 2005,
and was detained pending a further hearing on August 11, 2005.

• CARISA HAMEL, 20, of Portland, ME, was arrested by agents on August 8, 2005 .
She appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of NH on August 8, 2005, and was released
to the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office pending indictment and trial.

• JOHNNY MUY, 40, of Sanford, ME, was arrested by agents on August 8, 2005. He
appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of NH on that day, and was released to the
supervision of the U.S. Probation Office pending indictment and trial.

• SIM SAY a/k/a “Sam Say,” 25, of Sanford, ME, was arrested by agents on August 8,
2005. He appeared before the U.S. District Court for the District of NH that day, and again on
August 10, 2005 and has been detained pending indictment and trial.

• SAM RACH CHAN a/k/a “Whopper,” 24, of Sanford, ME was arrested by agents on
August 8, 2005. He appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of NH that day, and was
detained pending further hearing on August 10, 2005.

• KEOSYRI PHENGDARA a/k/a James or “J,” 20, of Springvale, ME was arrested by
agents on August 8, 2005. He appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of NH on August
9, 2005, and was released to the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office pending indictment and
trial.

• GERRY MUY, 24, of Sanford, ME was arrested by agents on August 8, 2005. He
appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of NH that day and was released to the
supervision of the U.S. Probation Office pending indictment and trial.

• LINDSEY LAVIOLETTE, 23, of Lebanon, ME, was arrested by agents on August 8,
2005. She appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of NH that day, and was released to
the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office pending indictment and trial.

• SANET SAING, 25, of Berwick, ME, was arrested by agents on August 8, 2005. He
appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of NH that day, and again on August 10, 2005.
He has been released on bail conditions pending indictment and trial.

• DY BUN, 25, of Leominster, MA, was arrested by DEA agents on August 8, 2005. He
appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of NH on that day and has been detained pending
indictment and trial.

• CARLIXTO SANTANA, 36, of Lawrence, MA, was arrested by agents on August 8,
2005. He appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of NH on August 9, 2005, has been
detained pending indictment and trial.

• CHAO IK MING, 46, of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, was arrested by agents on
August 8, 2005. He appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of NH on that day, and was
detained pending indictment and trial.

• RICHARD TRONG ONG, 32, of Lynn Massachusetts, was arrested by DEA agents on
August 9, 2005. He is scheduled to appear before the U.S. District Court for the District of NH
today, where the matter of bail will be addressed.

The investigation was conducted by DEA, with the substantial assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Marshals Service of Maine and New Hampshire, New Hampshire State Police and Maine State Police, Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and officers
in the following police departments in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts: Portsmouth,
Somersworth, Dover and Hudson, New Hampshire Police Departments; York County, Maine and Bristol County, Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Offices; and Maine Police Departments in Berwick, Kittery, North Berwick, Sanford, and York; and the Lowell, Massachusetts Police Department.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mark E. Howard.

A criminal complaint is only an allegation and not proof of criminal conduct. As in all criminal cases, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable
doubt.