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Chinese Pet Shop Owner, Wife Face Animal Cruelty, Extortion, Drug Charges

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A Hacienda Heights pet shop owner and father of two who posed as the leader of a Chinese gang is behind bars on charges of child endangerment, animal cruelty, drug and illegal weapons possession and extortion, sheriff's officials said Thursday.

Sheng Hui Chen, 38, a Chinese national, was allegedly extorting thousands of dollars from Chinese immigrants by telling them he was a leader in the "United Bamboo" gang, sheriff's Sgt. Steve Kim of the Operation Streets Bureau Asian Gang Team said.

Investigators received a tip in April from a concerned person about a man who went by "Sunny," Kim said. Chen, who went by "Sunny," was allegedly soliciting young Asian women to work at an illegal nightclub he planned to open in the Rowland Heights area.

Chen also owned a pet shop in the 1400 block of Nogales Avenue in Rowland Heights.

Chen also allegedly intimidated a Chinese couple to sub-lease their rented Diamond Bar home to him, converting the residence into an illegal hostess bar and hiring provocatively dressed Asian women to work there, Kim said.

The home was badly damaged and vacated by Chen after several months. When the couple returned they found an AK-47 assault rifle that Chen allegedly left behind.

Investigators obtained a warrant on June 22 to search Chen's home on Del Prado Drive in Hacienda Heights, Kim said. Deputies found narcotics in a bathroom that could have been accessed by Chen's 8-and 9-year-old children.

The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control was notified of 15 large dogs that were found at the residence, some kept inside small crates in a garage without proper ventilation during hot weather, others in a small kennel in the backyard without a cover to block sunlight, Kim said.

Several of the dogs appeared malnourished. All 15 dogs were seized by the agency for an investigation, which will include the pet shop Chen owns.

Chen's wife, Yulan Hu, 31, of Hacienda Heights, was also arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty, possession of methamphetamine and two counts of child endangerment, Kim said.

Chen was arrested on suspicion of unlawful possession of an assault weapon, impersonation of another for representing himself as someone else when he was first contacted at the house by deputies, animal cruelty, possession of methamphetamine and child endangerment.

The couple was released after posting $30,000 bail each.

Chen's alleged gang affiliation remained under investigation, Kim said.

Chen and Hu are Chinese nationals who entered the United States on tourist visas, Kim said.

Their children were taken into protective custody and later released to family members by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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