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A businesswoman in New York's Chinatown, described as one of the most successful "snakeheads" of all time, was sentenced Wednesday to 35 years in prison for operating an immigrant-smuggling ring.
Cheng Chui Ping, 57, who was known in Manhattan's Chinatown as "Sister Ping," was the mastermind behind a multi-million dollar operation that led to the "Golden Venture" ship disaster in 1993.
Ten people died when the freight ship crammed with illegal immigrants ran aground off New York's Rockaway Beach.
Ping was convicted in June last year on charges that included conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, money laundering and trafficking in ransom proceeds.
"Sister Ping exploited illegal aliens desperate for a better life in this country," said US Attorney Michael Garcia.
"She profited while they suffered," Garcia said. "The sentence imposed today is just punishment for that crime."
By the time of her arrest in April 2000, Ping had graduated from being a small-time crook to a major "snakehead" -- the Chinese term for smugglers of aliens -- using cargo ships that could transport several hundred illegals at a time.
The number of her "clients" totalled more than 1,000.
The "Golden Venture" was intentionally grounded off the coast of Rockaway in the New York borough of Queens when an offloading vessel failed to meet it in the open sea.
The illegal aliens on board, many of whom could not swim, were forced to jump into the Atlantic and try and make it to shore. Ten of them drowned.
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AFP 162121 GMT 03 06
COPYRIGHT 2004 Agence France-Presse. All rights reserved.
