Chinese court upholds verdict on criminal gang
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A court in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Thursday dismissed appeals by 18 people convicted of organized crimes.
In the second trial, or the final trial on Thursday, the Chongqing Municipal Higher People's Court upheld the original verdict handed down by the No. 2 Intermediate People's Court of Chongqing on Nov. 5.
Li Yi, often known by his nickname "Mickey Mouse", was sentenced to 20 years in jail and fined 1 million yuan (146,470 U.S. dollars) in the first trial on charges of organizing a crime gang that intentionally injured seven people and took huge amounts of money in racketeering over the past eight years and many other offences, according to court verdict.
The other 25 members of the gang received jail terms ranging from six months to 17 years. More than half of them are under 30 years old. The youngest is 18. Li and his 17 accomplices appealed against the verdict.
Li, born in 1973, organized the crime gang in 2001 and made more than 3 million yuan through racketeering. His gang used violence to levy fees from taxi drivers and vendors at a market in Kaixian County.
The gang were also convicted of arson, tax evasion, robbery and illegally owning guns.
