Couple sentenced for role in money-laundering plan

Kim Smith

Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2000 | 10:29 a.m.

A Las Vegas restaurant owner and his wife were sentenced Tuesday for their part in a money-laundering scheme investigated by undercover Metro Police officers.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Blair Smith said U.S. District Judge David Hagen sentenced Lim Chee Ming, 48, to 16 months in prison and gave his wife, Ying Wai Chui, 49, three years probation. Chui must spend the first 10 months of her probation on house arrest but will be allowed to work.

In addition, the couple must forfeit $15,000, Smith said.

Smith said undercover Metro officers were introduced to the couple through Johnny Sowah Lam, who claimed that he had friends who were interested in laundering money through their Saigon Restaurant, 4251 W. Sahara Ave. The couple were arrested in March 1998 along with Lam after $120,000 or so was laundered, Smith said.

Lam, who owns the Oriental Express restaurant, was sentenced in January to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and five counts of money laundering. He was ordered to forfeit $2,500.

Ming and Chui pleaded guilty in July -- Ming to conspiracy to launder money and two counts of money laundering and Chui to conspiracy to launder money and one count of money laundering.