Philadelphia Man Convicted for Role in Violent Home Invasion Robberies of Business Owners in Four States

Six Co-Defendants Have Pleaded Guilty

WASHINGTON – A Philadelphia man has been convicted for his participation in a conspiracy to commit violent home invasion robberies of successful Asian business owners in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and George Venizelos, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division.

After a four-day trial, a federal jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania found Tahn Le, 44, guilty on Jan. 20, 2012, of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce through multiple home invasion robberies and related firearms violations. To date, six co-defendants have pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy: Teo Van Bui, Buu Huu Truong, Thach Van Nguyen, Den Van Nguyen, Denise Novelli and Sidney Biggs.  

According to evidence presented at trial, Le and his co-defendants targeted successful Asian business owners in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for home invasion robberies because they believed that the business owners stored significant amounts of business proceeds in their homes. In carrying out the robberies, the defendants brandished handguns, tied up and in some instances beat their victims, and stole business proceeds as well as expensive jewelry.  

Le faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing hearings for him and his co-defendants are scheduled for April 2012.

The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys John S. Han and Robert Livermore of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.

The case was investigated by the FBI; the Poconos Township, Penn., Police Department; the Freehold Borough, N.J., Police Department; the Monroe Township, N.J., Police Department; and the Fairfax County, Va., Police Department. Additional assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.