Two New York Men Sentenced For Murder-For-Hire of Business Rival

BROOKLYN, NY- Qing Ming Yu, 56, known as “Allen,” and Zhe Zhang, 36, known as “Zack,” were sentenced to life imprisonment today by U.S. District Judge Carol Bagley Amon for their roles in the February 12, 2019, murder-for-hire of Xin “Chris” Gu. The federal jury found them guilty of murder-for-hire and conspiracy in October 2023. They were also ordered to pay $1,035,000 in restitution to the victim’s family.

The sentencing was announced by Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the FBI New York Field Office; and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner of the NYPD.

“Allen Yu orchestrated the murder of Xin Gu out of greed and revenge, with Zhang carrying out the execution without hesitation,” stated U.S. Attorney Peace. “Their actions traumatized the victim’s family and the Flushing community. Today’s sentences ensure that they will spend the rest of their lives behind bars, bringing some measure of closure to Gu’s family.”

“Threatened by Xin Gu’s entrepreneurial skills, Allen Yu sought revenge and unwarranted retribution against his former employee. After securing Zhang and a hitman as accomplices to his calculated plot, the trio unjustly ended the life of a promising young businessman. Today’s lifelong sentences serve as a just punishment for two individuals who deemed cold-blooded murder as an acceptable response for slighted feelings,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith.

“Today’s sentences bring with them some satisfaction to the dedicated investigators who worked on this horrific case and, hopefully, a modicum of relief to the family and friends of the victim,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban.  “Life in prison is an appropriate outcome for the crimes these men coldly carried out. I commend and thank our NYPD investigators for their meticulous work and our partners at the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York for their diligent prosecution.”

Allen Yu, president of the multi-million-dollar construction company Amaco, hired Xin Gu as a project manager in 2015. Gu resigned in 2018 due to concerns about the company’s financial viability and started his own property development firm, KG Management. This move caused several clients and employees to leave Amaco for KG Management, enraging Yu. He hired Zhang and others to kill Gu in exchange for payment.

On the evening of February 11, 2019, Gu attended a Lunar New Year celebration hosted by his new company at Lake Pavilion restaurant in Flushing, followed by a visit to Grand Slam KTV karaoke bar. As Gu waited for an Uber outside the bar, Zhang acted as the getaway driver while hitman Antony Abreu shot Gu multiple times, killing him.

Yu paid a co-conspirator $150,000 and Zhang $30,000 for their roles in the murder. Abreu was convicted in April 2024 for murder-for-hire and conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.

The case was prosecuted by the Organized Crime and Gangs Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Devon Lash, Nadia E. Moore, Gabriel Park, and Eric Silverberg led the prosecution, with support from Paralegal Specialist Elizabeth Reed and Legal Assistant Thomas “Cole” Englert.