Kidnapping Guarantors for Extortion of 100,000 Yuan
In 2008, Mr. Zhou, the chairman of a Chongqing construction labor company, was introduced by Mr. Cao to undertake a construction labor project from Boss Li. According to the agreement, Mr. Zhou paid Boss Li 650,000 yuan as a deposit, with Mr. Cao, Mr. Zhang, and Mr. Zhou acting as guarantors. Later, since Mr. Zhou did not secure the project, apart from the refund of 150,000 yuan of the deposit, Boss Li disappeared. Subsequently, Mr. Zhou sought compensation from the three guarantors: Mr. Cao, Mr. Zhang, and Mr. Zhou.
On January 13, 2009, Mr. Zhou instructed Mr. Liang to demand debt repayment from Mr. Cao. Mr. Liang gathered four others—Mr. Tan, Mr. Liu, Mr. Ren, and Ah Wang (separately handled)—and rented a minivan, driving to Jiangbei District.
At around 1 PM on January 15 of the same year, Mr. Liang and his group of five abducted Mr. Cao and took him to Wanzhou, detaining him in a guesthouse room in Machaolin, Wanzhou District. They forcibly demanded that Mr. Cao pay 100,000 yuan to Mr. Zhou. Mr. Liang also arranged for Mr. Wang and Mr. Yang to guard Mr. Cao at the guesthouse and took Mr. Cao to a secluded spot in Sanwan Park in Wanzhou District, where Mr. Liang and Mr. Deng threatened and assaulted Mr. Cao. After Mr. Cao agreed to call someone to borrow money, Mr. Liang and his group returned Mr. Cao to the guesthouse room. The next day at around 10 AM, Mr. Liang and his group took Mr. Cao to withdraw 100,000 yuan from the bank, which they handed over to Mr. Liang, who then issued a "receipt" before releasing Mr. Cao. Mr. Liang gave 70,000 yuan to Mr. Zhou and kept 30,000 yuan for himself as a "favor fee."
Unhappy with Others Cutting Someone Else
On the evening of March 9, 2009, at a teahouse in Yudong Pedestrian Street in North Mountain, Wanzhou District, citizen Mr. He joked around with others. Mr. Zhou, who was drinking tea there, disapproved of Mr. He's behavior, leading to an argument between them. Mr. Zhou immediately called gang members Mr. Liang and Mr. Yu, instructing them to bring people to teach Mr. He a lesson. Mr. Liang invited Mr. Tan, while Mr. Yu invited Jianzi and Chaoye (both pseudonyms, separately handled), rushing to the Wild Man Club near North Mountain Pedestrian Street. Subsequently, after being pointed out by Mr. Zhou, Mr. Liang, Mr. Tan, and Mr. Yu dragged Mr. He out of a bar. Mr. Liang and Mr. Tan stabbed Mr. He with knives. Meanwhile, Jianzi, Deng Mou, and others wielded machetes to cut another individual, Mr. Zhang, at a different bar nearby due to past grievances. Upon examination, both Mr. He and Mr. Zhang were found to have sustained minor injuries.
The Motive Behind the Stabbing Was Loss of Face
In December of last year, the Wanzhou District People's Procuratorate prosecuted Zhou, Liang, and nine others for illegal detention, provoking trouble, intentional injury, and harboring criminals. The prosecution accused Zhou and Liang of gathering defendants Deng, Tan, and others to repeatedly commit crimes such as illegal detention, provoking trouble, and intentional injury in Jiangbei District and Wanzhou District from 2008 to 2010. They used threats and violence during the process of contracting projects and resolving labor disputes, forming a criminal gang.
Recently, the Wanzhou District Court ruled that Zhou, Liang, and others openly caused trouble in public places, arbitrarily assaulting and injuring innocents due to damaged pride, constituting the crime of provoking trouble. Additionally, the actions of Zhou, Liang, and others constituted the crimes of illegal detention, intentional injury, and harboring criminals. Consequently, the court sentenced Zhou to three years in prison for the crimes of provoking trouble, intentional injury, and illegal detention. Liang, Deng, and seven others were also sentenced to various terms of imprisonment.