Two of the “operating minds” of an illegal gaming house in Richmond were sentenced in Richmond Provincial Court on Tuesday.
Jian Qiu Jane Rong pleaded guilty to one count of keeping a gaming or betting house, and Kuo Li Wong pleaded guilty to one count of keeping a gaming or betting house and one count of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
Rong received a conditional discharge and Wong received a suspended sentence.
Richmond Provincial Court Judge Diana Vandor outlined how the gaming house at 5599 Cooney Rd., in Richmond’s city centre, was in a penthouse apartment that had no signs of residential use.
The gaming house operated from May 8 to Aug. 17, 2021 as a “sophisticated casino” with baccarat tables, Vandor said.
When police raided the gaming house, they found three high-end gaming tables, thousand of casino chips branded “JK” and cash.
There were also scoresheets, ledgers and CCTV camera system and a manager’s office.
The ledger that was seized on Aug. 27 had six rows of names with bets between $500 and $10,000.
Rong had a key to a secure place in the building where police found, when they executed a search warrant, $420,000 in cash.
Vandor explained that Rong and Wong’s phones showed they were the “operating minds” of the gaming house.
The victim in this gaming house was the BC Lottery Corporation, Vandor said. An expert estimated the gaming house resulted in a net loss of income to the province of $435,000.
Vandor, however, said this “may or may not be accurate” as physical casinos were closed at the time due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
When the operators were alerted to someone coming in, they didn’t call police. Rather, Wong came to the gaming house brandishing a knife along with three other people. When he saw it was police, he dropped the knife, Vandor said.
Aggravating factors in Rong's sentencing included the size and sophistication of the operation, the fact it was a cash operation that could become the target of criminal activity and put the public at risk.
Mitigating factors were that Rong had no criminal record, she pleaded guilty, she accepted responsibility and was remorseful and embarrassed and apologized for her poor judgment.
Furthermore, three years have lapsed since she took part in the operation and she hasn’t reverted to similar activities. Vandor also noted she is caring for her elderly mother and intends to look for work.
Vandor said it was in her best interest to give her a conditional discharge with no criminal record.
She will be on probation for 24 months, will have to pay an $5,000 enhanced victim surcharge and will have to complete 100 hours of community service.
While Wong had a previous criminal record, this was “dated” and not related to a weapon’s offence, Vandor said.
Mitigating factors in sentencing included the fact he pleaded guilty and that it was a “peculiar time” given casino were shut down due to the pandemic.
Wong received a suspended sentence with 24 months of probation. Wong also received a 10-year weapons ban. He’s also banned from having knives except for preparing and eating food or if they're needed for lawful employment.
Other charges against Rong and Wong were stayed by the Crown.
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