State Sen. Leland Yee (D) was taken into San Francisco’s Federal Building in handcuffs on Wednesday, following his arrest during a federal raid earlier in the day, according to KCRA.
Reports indicate that Yee’s arrest was part of a broader series of multiagency federal raids apparently connected to gang activity. Yee, a prominent Democrat who represents San Francisco and San Mateo County, is the first Chinese American ever elected to the California state Senate, and is currently running to be California’s next Secretary of State.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Yee had been arrested on public corruption charges as part of a federal investigation that also targeted Raymond “Shrimp Boy” Chow, who the newspaper described as “a notorious former San Francisco gangster.” Sources told the Chronicle that the raid involved hundreds of federal agents and local officers, and stemmed from a fatal shooting that occurred around five years ago.
An FBI spokesperson confirmed to the Chronicle that both Yee and Chow had been arrested, and were both scheduled to appear before a federal judge Wednesday afternoon.
Reports indicated that agents on Wednesday were raiding both Yee’s offices in Sacramento and the San Francisco building that houses the Ghee Kung Tong, an organization referred to as the “Chinese Freemasons” that is currently headed by Chow.
