Homeless in Arizona

So the cops use fake names to testify in trial???

'Chow gave his version of his relationship with the agent, known only by the fake name "David Jordan"'

Of course when cops commit perjury, they don't consider it "lying" to them it's "testilying" which is a perk of the job they have.

Shrimp Boy trial: Chow says he's 'changed man'

By Howard Mintzhmintz@mercurynews.com

POSTED: 12/23/2015 05:04:27 AM PST0 COMMENTS

SAN FRANCISCO -- Continuing his gamble to defend himself on the witness stand, Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow on Tuesday described his 2009 introduction to undercover FBI agents who plied him with expensive wine, steak dinners and cash as they probed his alleged role as a Chinatown crime boss.

While the government maintains the agents uncovered Chow's involvement in a wide spectrum of crime, he told the jury that he had "walked away" from being "a professional criminal" by the time he met those operatives. And Chow, again dressed nattily in suit, tie and vest, insisted he never took money to orchestrate crimes.

"I'm here to tell everyone I'm a changed man," Chow boomed at one point.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Frentzen began his assault on Chow's account late Tuesday, peppering him with hostile questions about accepting money from undercover FBI agents to commit crimes and trying to cast doubt on his vow to abandon a life of crime. When Chow mentioned that he did not commit crimes after his 2003 release from prison, other than occasional cocaine use and visiting prostitutes, Frentzen mocked him.

"You're only involved in cocaine, hookers and revenge, is that right?" Frentzen snapped at Chow, who shed his suit jacket shortly after the cross-examination began.

In a federal indictment alleging dozens of crimes, from money laundering to drug trafficking, prosecutors portray Chow as the leader, or "Dragonhead," of an Asian organization called the Ghee Kung Tong that law enforcement agents say was involved in orchestrating Chinatown's crime scene from 2009 until his 2014 arrest. Chow is also charged in connection with two murders, and former associates cooperating with the government testified against him on those allegations earlier in the trial. Chow denied any involvement in those murders in both days of testimony.

In addition, the lead FBI undercover agent who spent more than four years probing Chow's organization spent nearly two weeks on the witness stand, recounting his role in one of the most extensive undercover operations in recent Bay Area history. That investigation netted dozens of defendants, including former state Sen. Leland Yee, who has pleaded guilty to racketeering charges and is awaiting sentencing.

Chow gave his version of his relationship with the agent, known only by the fake name "David Jordan," who previously told the jury of repeated instances of Chow accepting thousands of dollars in cash for criminal activity. Chow denied he ever took money for crime, saying he told Jordan not to even discuss illegal activity around him. Given all the dinners and time spent together, Chow believed the money was "chump change" for Jordan, who posed as an East Coast mafia businessman.

"David Jordan give me money for his love and respect," Chow told the jury in response to a question about why he believed the cash was being supplied.

The government has introduced hours of audio and video recordings gleaned from the undercover probe, many of them purporting to show Chow discussing criminal activity and accepting bags of cash for orchestrating crimes.

Frentzen questioned Chow repeatedly about all the money he accepted, noting that he took more than $60,000 over three years from Jordan. But Chow kept telling the jury he considered the amount "chump change," saying he could make that amount in a day if he was back in crime.

"I'm no minimum wage godfather," he said.

Frentzen kept after Chow. "Oh, you got paid, and you took it, isn't that right, Mr. Chow," the prosecutor said in U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer's packed courtroom.

The government tapes show Chow repeatedly accepting envelopes of cash from the agent, but Chow denies the money was payment for carrying out crimes. He testified Monday that it was common in Chinatown for respected elders to be provided red envelopes of money, and he often benefited from such largesse after being released from prison.

He repeated that theme Tuesday, often sprinkling his testimony with street parlance and some casual profanity, describing himself as "broke ass in the city" during the time the FBI says he was running a racketeering enterprise.

Chow maintains he had gone straight after being released from federal prison in 2003, when he agreed to cooperate against another Chinatown crime leader, Peter Chong. Chow's testimony focused on his claims that he had learned from his past and steered clear of directing any criminal activity as head of his organization, focusing instead on community service and working on a book about his life.

Howard Mintz covers legal affairs. Contact him at 408-286-0236 or follow him at Twitter.com/hmintz