Shutdown of drug-infested hotel that bred violence and death
DALLAS – A U.S. District Judge has granted federal prosecutors’ motion to shut down a drug-infested hotel located just 1000 feet from a Dallas elementary school, DEA Dallas Division Special Agent in Charge Clyde E. Shelley, Jr., and U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox announced today.
On Thursday, a task force of more than 50 agents and officers, accompanied by several attorneys, converged on Han Gil Hotel Town to effect arrests, execute search warrants and post notices requiring the immediate clearing of the premises.
“The Han Gil is a well-known haven and attraction for drug dealers and users,” said Special Agent in Charge Shelley. “It is a place linked to violence and death within close proximity of a school. We will continue to pursue these investigations and make our communities safer.”
The Han Gil – which prosecutors say served as home base for multiple drug dealers selling cocaine, heroin and meth – became a “safe haven for drug distributors” and a “breeding ground for escalating criminal activity,” the government argued in a civil motion requesting the hotel’s immediate closure.
The Court’s resulting temporary restraining order, signed Wednesday by Judge C. David C. Godbey, prohibits anyone other than Han Gil proprietors and immediate family from occupying the hotel, which the Court agreed likely “endangers the general welfare of the community.”
“The Han Gil is a magnet for drug dealers and violent criminals and needed to be shut down immediately for public safety reasons,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “Instead of simply picking off dealers one-by-one, we asked the Court to issue a temporary restraining order enjoining the hotel’s further operation. We believe this business was nothing but a front for criminal activity and posed significant danger to our community. We will continue to push to keep it shut down.”
Over the past eight months, the hotel, which is essentially catty corner to Herbert Marcus Elementary, has seen three deaths, two non-fatal shootings and dozens of drug-related incidents, according to the motion.
The husband-wife duo operating the Han Gil, Su Amos and Micha Mun, brazenly allowed controlled substances to be distributed on their property, the motion asserts. In return for an $80 per day “drug tax,” Mr. and Mrs. Mun allegedly permitted dealers to distribute drugs from inside guest rooms.
The motion alleges that at least one exterior door of the Han Gil was left unlocked so individuals who weren’t renting their own rooms could access the rooms where drug deals occurred. Mr. Mun also permitted dealers to install cameras and peepholes in order to detect and avoid police, and even gave dealers advance notice of upcoming inspections. On at least one occasion, he claimed to have deleted surveillance video evidence of an overdose victim being carried from the premises.
About a month after another woman with a history of drug abuse died in one of the rooms at the Han Gil, law enforcement recovered her body in a nearby wooded area.
“Rather than requesting assistance to combat this criminal activity,” the government’s motion says, “the Muns take advantage of it, knowingly profiting from the rampant drug use and sales occurring at the Han Gil.”
In a separate criminal case, Mr. Mun and his hotel corporation, One Way Investments, Inc., have been indicted on one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, a violation of the Controlled Substances Act. If convicted, Mr. Mun, who is currently in federal custody, faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of $500,000, while the corporation faces a fine of up to $2 million.
The indictment against Mr. Mun also includes drug charges against several dealers, including Erick Dewayne Freemen, aka “Stuff,” Kendrick Lamel Washington, aka “Kiki”, Kimberly Rosha Robinson, aka “Miss K,” and others. Mr. Freeman and Mr. Washington have also been charged with firearm offenses. These defendants face potential sentences of 10 years to life in prison.
The government’s complaint and motion are merely allegations of violations of the law, not evidence or findings of liability. Similarly, an indictment is merely an accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All criminal defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Coppell Police Department; Dallas Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshal’s Service; Grand Prairie Police Department; Arlington Police Department; Grapevine Police Department; Lancaster Police Department; the State Department; IRS; U.S. Postal Inspector’s Service; Plano Police Department; Farmers Branch Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Garland Police Department; Rowlett Police Department; Denton Police Department; Lewisville Police Department; and McKinney Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Hogan, NDTX Civil Chief; Lindsey Beran, NDTX Deputy Civil Chief; and Braden Civins filed the civil motion. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert, Chief of NDTX’s Narcotics Section, and Phelesa Guy, Deputy Chief of the Narcotics Section, are prosecuting the criminal case.
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