California State Senator arrested on arms trafficking

California State Senator Leland Yee, a Democratic candidate for secretary of state who authored gun control legislation, was arrested Wednesday on a federal complaint accusing him of conspiracy to traffic in firearms and wire fraud.

Court documents allege Yee asked for campaign donations in exchange for introducing an undercover FBI agent to an arms trafficker. Yee is also accused of accepting tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions and cash payments to provide introductions, help a client get a contract and influence legislation

The allegations against Yee were outlined in an FBI affidavit in support of a criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday. The affidavit names him and 25 other people.

Yee, 65, was arrested early Wednesday in a series of federal raids in the Bay Area and Sacramento aimed at corruption and gang activity. Federal agents took Yee into custody at his home in San Francisco and he was driven to the federal courthouse to be arraigned while his offices in Sacramento were raided.

Yee's arrest shocked Chinese-Americans who see the senator as a leader in the community and a mainstay of San Francisco politics, said David Lee, director of the Chinese American Voters Education Committee.

"People are waiting to see what happens, and they are hoping for the best, that the charges turn out not to be true," said Lee, whose organization took part in a get-out-the-vote event with Yee last week.

"That's shocking news to me," said San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee when asked about Yee's arrest. "It's many years of public service so, I don't know what's occurred there … I hope for the best."

The 137-page criminal complaint charges a total of 26 people — including Yee— with a slew of crimes, including firearms trafficking, money laundering, murder-for-hire, drug distribution, trafficking in contraband cigarettes and honest-services fraud.

Yee performed "official acts" in exchange for donations from undercover FBI agents, as he sought to dig himself out of a $70,000 debt incurred during a failed San Francisco mayoral bid, according to the court documents.

Yee is also accused of accepting $10,000 in January 2013 from an undercover agent in exchange for making a call to the California Department of Public Health in support of a contract under consideration with the agency.

Also arrested in the raids was Raymond Chow, who is also known as "Shrimp Boy," a former leader of a Chinese criminal organization with ties to Hong Kong. The complaint alleges that Chow was engaged in money-laundering, conspiracy to transport stolen property and conspiracy to traffic contraband cigarettes.

Chow heads the Ghee Kung Tong Masonic organization in San Francisco, commonly referred to as the Chinese Freemasons. Agents also raided a San Francisco Chinatown building which houses the Ghee Kong Tong. The sound of an electric saw on metal was heard at the red three-story building that Yee frequently visited.

Firefighters using a saw, hammer and screwdriver opened a safe that was about 100 years old, according to an FBI agent who declined to give his name. He said that authorities believed the safe held evidence that would be used against Yee.

The allegations against Yee were outlined in an FBI affidavit in support of a criminal complaint against him and the others. It was unsealed Wednesday as Yee was scheduled to appear in court.

"The political path of Chinese Americans and the elected officials of Chinese Americans in San Francisco, the largest and oldest Chinese community in North America, is by no means an easy way," Xue Haipei, the president of the National Council for Chinese Americans, said on Wednesday in connection with Yee's arrest.

"We serve community to build up trust with all our talents and Service, time and money, each servant will pave his way to elected position with endless effort and sacrifice financially and family life," said Don Sun，Cupertino city planning commissioner and candidate for city council this year.

"We are the first generation immigrants and need to keep integrity as the basic and bottom line. No one is perfect but if we decide to serve public, better to be open and honest every second, every minute and every day," Sun said.

Betty Yuan, a local community leader in San Francisco, said Yee's arrest will tarnish the Asian-American politicians' image as a whole.

"These series of events has casted another cloud of corruption over the Democratic establishment in the California state legislature and threatens Democrats' ability to restore the state Senate supermajority," said Stanley Kwong, a professor at the University of San Francisco.

"It's regrettable to see elected individuals who are trusted by their constituents lose sight of their ethical obligations and public trust," he said.

"I'm shocked and hope the justice system will give everyone an answer," said Chris Zhang, attorney in practice and founder of United Asian Americans for Activism (UAAFA). His organization is currently focusing on voter registration in Santa Clara County, and "we will continue on this task without distraction," said Zhang referring to the previous SCA5 controversy for which Yee had voted yes.

George Koo, a Chinese community leader, said he hope Yee be given due process and full protection of the law until he has his day in court. However, he is not surprised "by this sort of stories".

"The American political process is completely driven by money and the need for any aspiring politician to seek money by virtually any route possible in order to be regarded as a serious candidate. Every day, we hear about some politician tainted by funds of dubious origin. The temptation can be overwhelming," he said.

"State Senator Leland Yee's arrest, sent shock waves across the Chinese immigrant community. Some thinks it is about time to weed out the corrupted, some regrets a loss of a long time representative. For me, this sounds a blaring alarm," said Josephine Zhao, who is from the Asian American voter.org.

Yee represents California's 8th District which includes part of San Francisco and the Peninsula. He is among three Democrats running this year for secretary of state, the office that oversees elections and campaign finance reporting. He lost a bid for mayor of San Francisco in 2011.

Yee was best known for his attempts to strengthen California's open records and government transparency laws.

Last year Yee proposed a bill that would have prohibited the use of devices that allow users to swiftly reload military-style assault weapons. Lee also authored legislation that that would have required the state to study safe storage of firearms.

(June Chang and Kelly Zhang contributed to the story)