LOS ANGELES
A San Fernando Valley man was sentenced Friday to 22 years and six months in federal prison for extorting Koreatown karaoke companies, officials stated.
Daekun Cho sometimes physically attacked victims who refused to pay, including carjacking one victim after beating him with a baseball bat, officials stated.
U.S. District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha Cho, 39, of Woodland Hills, was sentenced
The judge also ordered him to pay $240,167 in restitution and a special assessment of $5,700.
At the conclusion of a five-day trial, a jury on March 26 found Cho guilty of 55 counts of interference with commerce by extortion, one count of attempted interference with commerce by extortion, and one count of carjacking.
“For years, this defendant terrorized merchants in Koreatown with his violent, shake-down schemes and intimidated victims into remaining silent,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. “But working with our local partners, we were able to uncover and expose this incorrigible racketeer. Extortionists who seek to profit through violence are on notice that we will use federal tools to hold them accountable and the consequences 
will be severe.
From at least 2018 until his arrest in March 2023, Cho extorted “protection” money from karaoke businesses in Koreatown, as well as from drivers of “doumis”—hostesses employed by patrons of these karaoke establishments.
In one instance, in May 2021, a doumi driver refused to pay Cho additional money. In response, Cho and an accomplice ambushed the driver in a karaoke parking lot, brutally assaulting him with metal baseball bats until he was unconscious. They then stole his minivan.
The victim’s arm was broken as he tried to shield his head from the blows. Fearing further violence, the victim and his business partner shut down their karaoke driving company, with the partner fleeing California
In a separate incident in July 2022, another victim was dropping off two doumis at a Koreatown karaoke bar when Cho approached the car, seemingly concealing something in his hoodie pocket.
Cho used his sleeve to open the car door, avoiding fingerprints, partially entered the vehicle, and informed the victim that their company was not allowed to drop off a doumi.
As the victim drove away, gunshots rang out, shattering the car’s glass, and a shard struck one of the doumis in the neck.
In January 2023, Cho attacked another karaoke driver who had been paying him a monthly extortion fee, first in cash and later through Venmo.
Cho began accepting electronic payments during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the victim stopped making payments, Cho assaulted him, stole $1,000, and threatened to kill him.
At trial, text messages revealed that Cho had threatened numerous victims, warning that if they didn’t pay, they would “see the real demon,” “face the consequence,” “get beat up,” or be “punch[ed].”
He also threatened to “come see u” or “kick u out of Ktown.” One victim testified that Cho pointed a gun at another victim’s head when they refused to follow his orders.
When Cho was arrested on these charges, he was found in possession of a 9mm firearm, a Glock 17, a partially assembled ghost gun, multiple loaded high-capacity magazines, and revolver ammunition.
One of the firearms was fully loaded with the safety disengaged. Additionally, Cho had an illegal knife, two metal baseball bats, and $20,733 in cash.
HSI and the Los Angeles Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jena A. MacCabe and Kevin J. Butler of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.