By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

A Folsom man and two other men have been sentenced in federal court to lengthy prison terms for their roles in a series of violent crimes and robberies.

U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb sentenced John That Luong, 38, of Folsom to life in prison, plus 80 years. Kevin Lattanaphom, 32, of Oakland, was sentenced to life in prison, plus 45 years, and Hoang Al Le, 39, of Daly City, to 28 years and four months, according to a Federal Bureau of Investigation news release issued this week.

The case was investigated by the FBI and Stockton Police Department.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorneys William S. Wong and Jason Hitt, who prosecuted the case, evidence during the trial showed that between December 1995 and January 1996, Luong's criminal organization planned and carried out four armed robberies, and attempted a fifth, of computer chip companies and a Stockton jewelry store.

Two of the robberies included an "action" team that conducted brutal home invasions of owners from targeted businesses to extract burglary alarm codes, security information and keys to the business. Once the information and keys were obtained, a second "transport" team would drive to the business and steal the property.

During the invasion of Stockton jewelry store owner Vuth Hong's home, Hong and his family were brutally tortured for approximately four hours. The robbers used a blowtorch, a hot iron and firearms to extract information, according to the news release. Lattanaphom eventually shot and killed Vuth Hong. Vuth's brother Srun Hong was shot four times but survived.

The defendants were found guilty on Dec. 14, 2007. Luong was found guilty on nine counts for his part as the leader and organizer of four violent armed robberies, one of which included the murder of Vuth Hong and shooting of Srun Hong. The jury returned seven guilty verdicts against robbery crew member and gunman Lattanphom, and two guilty verdicts against Le.

Another defendant in the case, robbery crew chief Minh Hunh, 37, received nine guilty verdicts. His sentencing was continued, according to the news release.

In an earlier trial in 2003 arising from the same indictment, robbery crew members Thy Chann, 34, Bao Lu, 30, and Son Van Nguyen, 34, all of Oakland, were convicted of the same armed robberies and sentenced by Judge Shubb to life in prison.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 773-6866.