NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — After a two-week trial, a Long Island man was convicted on Wednesday of planning a murder-for-hire and conspiracy with his nephew against a rival business owner in 2019.
The rival business owner, Xin "Chris" Gu, 31, was shot by a hired man on Feb. 12, in front of a Queens karaoke bar. Gu died on the scene.
Qing Ming Yu, 55, known to many as "Allen," and Zhe Zhang, 35, or "Zack," were found guilty of both murder-for-hire and conspiracy related to the killing, prosecutors said.
"The victim worked tirelessly to establish his own firm, only to be heartlessly executed by these defendants," Breon Peace, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said.
The rivalry started years ago when Yu was at the head of Amaco, a construction giant responsible for numerous New York City apartment renovations. Xin Gu started working with him in 2015 as a project manager.
Although Gu's start in business added a fourfold increase in Amaco's business, Gu became skeptical about the firm's long-term stability.
In 2018, Gu decided to resign from Amaco and launch his own company, KG Management.
As a result employees and clients cut ties with Yu's Amaco and went to Gu's new company, taking with them significant projects, including one valued at around $1 million.
Yu then hired You You and Zhang to kill Gu.
Zhang decided to hire Antony Abreu to carry out the murder.
Following a dinner at Lake Pavilion restaurant in Flushing, Gu went to Grand Slam KTV, a karaoke bar.
The hit team learned of the party and with You acting as a lookout and
Zhang serving as the getaway driver, Abreu allegedly shot the victim multiple times as he waited for an Uber, killing him, prosecutors said.
Over the next three months, Yu paid $150,000 to You for the murder.
You You pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire conspiracy in June 2023 and is
awaiting sentencing.
Abreu is awaiting trial.
When sentenced, each defendant faces a mandatory term of life in prison.
