Judge Dismisses 4 Cases From August Illegal Gambling Raid, Acquits One

Jack Hoang walked away from a City of Falls Church courtroom Wednesday a free man.

Hoang, arrested in a Northern Virginia Gang Taskforce raid at the on Aug. 11, was charged with illegal gambling. General District Court Judge Thomas Kelley, Jr. said there was not enough evidence to convict Hoang and dismissed the charges. There were 19 people in total charged in the raid.

Several of Hoang’s supporters erupted in applause when Kelly ruled on the case and they were removed from the room.

“I feel like I was labeled for something I didn’t do,” Hoang said through a Vietnamese interpreter outside City Hall.

The task force allegedly seized more than $1 million in a gambling raid on businesses at the Eden Center in August. The task force believes , a predominantly Vietnamese gang. Due H. Tran, attorney for Hoang and the other five alleged suspects who appeared in court Wednesday, said there is no Dragon Family Gang operating in the Eden Center.

After Kelley dismissed the charges against Hoang, he quickly dismissed the four remaining cases with understanding they can be retried if more evidence is brought forward. One person did plead guilty to having fireworks. The fireworks were turned up in the raid.