LA Man Sentenced to 22 Years for Extorting Karaoke Companies

A Los Angeles man was sentenced to 270 months in federal prison for extorting Koreatown karaoke companies and sometimes physically attacking victims who refused to pay, the Justice Department announced Friday.

From 2018 through 2023, Daekun Cho demanded “protection” money from karaoke businesses in Koreatown, as well as from drivers employed by patrons of the karaoke establishments, the DOJ said. In text messages, Cho threatened victims that if they did not pay him, they would “see the real demon,” “face the consequence,” or “get beat up,” with one victim testifying that Cho pointed a gun at a victim’s head ...