On the cold morning of February 12, 2019, 31-year-old Xin 'Chris' Gu was fatally shot in a brazen execution-style murder outside a karaoke bar in Flushing, Queens. Gu, a successful businessman, had just finished celebrating the Lunar New Year with over 100 guests, a festive occasion that marked the launch of his new real estate development company, KG Management.
As he waited for an Uber to take him home around 2:30 a.m., a hired gunman approached him and opened fire, ending his life.
The investigation into Gu's death unraveled a sinister plot born out of business rivalry and jealousy. Authorities revealed that the mastermind behind the murder-for-hire scheme was Qing Ming 'Allen' Yu, a 55-year-old resident of Oyster Bay and Gu's former employer. Gu had previously worked as a project manager for Yu's Manhattan-based company, Amaco, and was instrumental in its significant growth. However, concerned about Amaco's financial stability, Gu resigned in 2018 to establish his own firm. This move proved to be a great success, with several of Amaco's clients and employees following Gu to his new venture, a decision that enraged Yu.
Fueled by what prosecutors described as 'perceived disloyalty,' Yu hired associates to carry out the hit. The individuals charged in the conspiracy were Antony Abreu, identified as the shooter, and Zhe 'Zack' Zhang, who acted as the getaway driver. Another co-conspirator, You You, was also involved in the plot. For his role in the murder, Abreu was allegedly rewarded with an expensive Richard Mille wristwatch.
Following an extensive investigation, all four men were arrested and faced federal charges for murder-for-hire. In October 2023, a federal jury in Brooklyn convicted Qing Ming Yu and Zhe Zhang on charges of murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire conspiracy. Both men were subsequently sentenced to mandatory life in prison. Antony Abreu was also found guilty of murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire conspiracy in a separate trial and received a mandatory life sentence. You You pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire conspiracy and was awaiting sentencing.
