Levo Chan receives a 14-year prison term

Levo Chan Weng Lin, the ex-leader of Tak Chun Group, a junket operator, was arrested in January 2022 on charges of organized crime, illegal gaming activities, fraud, and money laundering.

Levo Chan Weng Lin, the former leader of the now-defunct Tak Chun Group junket operator, has been sentenced by the Macau Court of First Instance to 14 years in prison. The sentence comes after Chan was found guilty of 34 charges, including organized crime, illicit gaming activities, fraud, and money laundering. Although Macau public prosecutors initially accused Chan of 83 charges, the presiding judge, Lam Peng Fai, reduced the number of charges to 34 due to legal technicalities, but ultimately found Chan guilty on all counts.

In January 2022, Levo Chan Weng Lin was arrested on allegations of establishing a criminal syndicate that facilitated illegal, under-the-table bets in Macau’s casinos. According to public prosecutors, this resulted in significant losses for both the Macau government and gaming operators, with HK$575.2 million in gaming tax losses and HK$135 million in losses for the operators between 2014 and 2020.

During the trial, presiding judge Lam Peng Fai ruled that Chan and four other defendants are required to pay compensation to the Macau government and five gaming operators, with the exception of Melco Resorts. Although the specific compensation amount was not specified by the court, it was revealed that the criminal syndicate led by Chan had profited approximately HK$1.5 billion from the illicit under-the-table bets.

Apart from Chan, four other defendants have also been found guilty of under-the-table betting, fraud, and involvement in a criminal organization. They have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from seven to eleven years. However, four other defendants have been acquitted of all charges.

All those who have been convicted have been given a 20-day window to file an appeal with the Court of Second Instance. The guilty verdict against Chan comes after the January sentencing of Alvin Chau Cheok Wa, the former head of Suncity Group, to 18 years in prison for similar charges.