A 23-year-old man has been charged following shooting at a Richmond restaurant that killed an alleged money launderer last year.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) announced Wednesday that Richard Charles Reed has been charged with first degree murder of 44-year-old Jian Jun Zhu. Reed also faces five additional charges.
Around 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 18, 2020, Richmond RCMP responded to reports of gunshots at the Manzo Restaurant at 9020 Capstan Way, by Garden City Road. Two men were found with gunshot wounds.
Zhu died the next day at hospital while the second victim was treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Zhu was known to police but is not connected to the Lower Mainland gang conflict, according to IHIT.
The wounded man has not been named by police, but the Vancouver Sun reported he was Paul King Jin.
Zhu was an alleged money launderer tied to an underground bank in Richmond.
According to allegations documented in court by B.C.’s director of civil forfeiture several years ago, hundreds of millions of dollars of drug-laced cash were routinely emptied from suitcases onto the floors of a Richmond office, to be counted by Caixuan Qin and her spouse Zhu, for the purposes of money laundering.
In November 2018, federal crown prosecutors, for undisclosed reasons, turfed the high-profile case of alleged money laundering involving Zhu’s money service business Silver International on Cooney Road – which allegedly catered to local, Mexican and Chinese organized crime rings.
IHIT says its 14-month investigation into the fatal shooting was conducted with the assistance of Richmond RCMP, the Integrated Forensic Identification Section (IFIS) and various specialized units from E Division Headquarters.
“Although charges were laid, this investigation continues,” said Sgt. David Lee, IHIT spokesperson. “There are additional persons involved in this braze shooting. Homicide investigators are still investigating and will seek out and arrest all those who are responsible.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the IHIT Information Line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448), or by email at [email protected].
- With files from Alan Campbell; Graeme Wood, Glacier Media
