Restaurant owner with connections gets 18 months in prison - The Denver Post
Restaurant owner with connections gets 18 months in prison - The Denver Post Over the objections of federal drug agents who thought the sentence too light, Thornton restaurateur Dan Tang was ordered Wednesday to serve 18 months in prison for funding a major marijuana grow operation. Chief U.S. District Judge Wiley Y. Daniel decided Tang's crimes were too serious to grant a probationary sentence requested by his defense attorneys who cited his mental and physical ailments as mitigating factors. Tang, the 47-year-old owner of the Heaven Dragon restaurant wept throughout the sentencing hearing and appeared contrite as he addressed the judge in both English and his native Cantonese. "I am very remorseful for all the past wrongs I have committed," Tang said. "I know I have done a big, big wrong. Big mistake. It jeopardized all my family members and it also affected my society, my community." In November, he pleaded guilty to money laundering and was ordered to forfeit $1 million in cash to the government. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence of 11 to 30 months, which is below the guideline range for his offense which typically carries a term of 70 to 87 months in prison. Before sentencing, Daniel asked prosecutor Stephanie Podolak why she agreed Tang should receive a sentence below the recommended federal sentencing guidelines. There was speculation Tang is cooperating with investigators on a corruption investigation because he was tipped off by a law enforcement officer about the oncoming marijuana raid in a letter. However, Colorado U.S. Attorney spokesman Jeff Dorschner said Tang does not know the source of the letter he received and is not involved in an ongoing investigation related to the source of the leak.
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