Woodland Hills Man Arrested in Alleged Koreatown Shakedown Scheme
LOS ANGELES—A Woodland Hills man was arrested March 16 on federal charges alleging he was extorting protection money from Koreatown businesses, sometimes using violence against those who refused to pay.
Daekun Cho, 38, was arrested by special agents from Homeland Security Investigations and officers from the Los Angeles Police Department pursuant to a federal criminal complaint filed last week. The complaint charges Cho with interference with commerce by threats or violence. He is expected to make his initial appearance Thursday in federal court in downtown Los Angeles.
The investigation allegedly found that Cho was demanding protection money from karaoke businesses in Koreatown, as well as from “doumi” or hostesses employed by patrons of the karaoke establishments….