Wednesday, April 1, 1998 | 10:10 a.m.
Sue Wong, the Bally's hotel-casino executive in charge of luring Asian customers to the Strip property, and her fiance, retired radiologist Dr. Raymond Yin, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on conspiracy and money laundering charges.
Wong and Yin are two of 11 people who were swept up last week by the FBI and Metro Police detectives following a two-year investigation.
The indictment filed Tuesday alleges that the pair arranged for a fee to have small denomination currency from purported drug trafficking replaced by large bills.
The deals, according to the indictment, began in August 1997 when $10,800 was traded by undercover police officers for $10,000 in large denomination bills to conceal the source of the original funds.
As months went by, the amounts involved grew, the charges allege. In January, $204,000 in clean cash was traded for $214,000 in purported drug proceeds. In February, $200,000 was given for $210,000 supplied by undercover officers. In March, $174,000 in cash and three checks totaling $126,000 were traded for $315,000 supplied by the agents.
The indictment also charges Wong, 39, and Yin, 60, with agreeing to accept tainted cash for two acres of land in the southwest Las Vegas neighborhood of Spring Valley and part of a 10-acre parcel nearby.
The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of numerous bank and investment accounts, the property that allegedly had been offered for sale and a Lexus automobile.
Arrested along with Wong and Yin are Lim Ming, 45, and Wai Chui, 48, who own Saigon Restaurant on West Sahara Avenue, and Johnny Lam, 40, who owns three Asian restaurants.
An FBI affidavit indicated the probe began in 1996 as the result of a confidential source alleging Wong was involved in money laundering along with her resort duties.
The investigation also uncovered illegal bookmaking operations and prostitution activities.
An April 20 preliminary hearing on conspiracy and money laundering counts has been set for the three unindicted defendants charged in the federal system.
Others arrested in the Friday raids but not charged in the federal system included Duong Minh Phan, 34; Tony Minh Lam, 32; and four Malaysian women.
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