Sacto 9-1-1: Last defendant sentenced in home invasion robbery

A Sacramento man has been sentenced to life in prison for a home invasion robbery in which the victims were tortured.

Minh Throng Huynh, 38, is the last of seven gang members to be sentenced in the robbery spree, according to a federal Department of Justice news release. U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb today sentenced Huynh to life in prison plus a consecutive 65-year term for using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. The sentencing came after years of delays initiated by the defense, federal officials said.

According to evidence presented at the three-month trial in 2007, over the course of two months, December 1995 and January 1996, co-defendant John That Luong, 39, the leader and organizer of a criminal organization, planned and executed four violent armed robberies, and attempted a fifth, of computer chip companies and a Stockton jewelry store. Minh Huynh was a robbery crew chief.

In two of the robberies, an "action" team conducted brutal home invasions of owners of targeted businesses to extract burglary alarm codes, security information and keys to access the business. Once they obtained the information and keys, a second "transport" team would drive to the business and steal all of the business' property.

During the robbery at the home of Stockton jewelry store owner Vuth Hong, Hong and his family were subjected to four hours of torture. Officials said the robbers used a blowtorch, a hot iron, firearms and other implements in and attempt to extract the information. Eventually, co-defendant Kevin Lattanaphom, 33, shot and killed Vuth Hong with a single bullet to the chest. Vuth Hong's brother, Srun, was shot four times by another member of the robbery crew but survived.

After the killing, officials said, the same robbery crew traveled to Los Angeles and attempted a similar home invasion robbery of a business owner when they were arrested by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies, assisted by the FBI.

For his part as a leader and organizer, Luong was sentenced to life in prison plus 80 years. Lattanaphom, who was 17 at the time he shot and killed Vuth Hong, was sentenced to life in prison plus 45 years. Co-defendant Hoang Ai Le, 40, was convicted of participating in a home invasion robbery and was sentenced to 28 years and four months in prison.

In an earlier trial in 2003 arising from the same indictment, robbery crew members Thy Chann, 35, Bao Lu, 31, and Son Van Nguyen, 35, were convicted of the same armed robberies. All were sentenced by Judge Shubb to life in prison plus an additional term for using a firearm.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.