Han Gil Hotel Owner Pleads Guilty to Maintaining Drug-Involved Premises

Han Gil hotel owner Su Amos Mun pleaded guilty today to maintaining a drug-involved premises, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

In plea papers, Mr. Mun, 65, admitted that for more than a year, he charged drug dealers an inflated daily rate, or “drug tax,” that allowed them to openly sell quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and other drugs from inside his hotel  rooms.

He further admitted that despite being notified of two separate heroin overdose deaths that occurred inside the hotel, Mr. Mun continued to allow dealers to sell illegal drugs to customers from Han Gil Hotel rooms, often arming himself with a firearm.  Mr. Mun also admitted that many of the drug dealers operating out of his hotel were armed with handguns and long guns.

As part of his plea agreement, Mr. Mun agreed to forfeit the Han Gil hotel, which is also the subject of a civil action filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleging the site functioned as a “safe haven for drug distributors” and a “breeding ground for escalating criminal activity.”

The hotel has been shuttered since March 8, when a federal judge granted prosecutors’ motion for a restraining order prohibiting the hotel’s further operation.  The establishment, located less than 1000 feet from Dallas’ Herbert Marcus Elementary, had seen multiple deaths, shootings, and drug-related incidents over the eight months prior to the restraining order.

To date, eight criminal defendants in the Han Gil case have pleaded guilty, including Eric Dewayne Freeman, aka “Stuff,” the lead defendant in the case. The 44-year-old Freeman – who could be seen on surveillance video peddling drugs and committing acts of violence from inside the Han Gil – corroborated Mr. Mun’s knowledge of dealers’ illegal activities in his plea papers.

“The Defendant’s plea not only documents his criminal culpability, but also describes how he brazenly facilitated and profited from the criminal conduct by dangerous individuals operating out of his hotel,” U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox said of Mr. Mun. “The Defendant’s business directly impacted the safety of this community and his conviction allows us to permanently rid the neighborhood of this horrible place.  I want to thank all the law enforcement personnel that worked together innovatively to bring about this great result.  Let this case serve as a warning to other business owners that operate similar establishments – we will not allow those who profit off the dangerous and illegal activity of others to hide in the shadows.”

Mr. Mun now faces up to 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing is scheduled for December 19.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Coppell Police Department, Dallas Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, Grand Prairie Police Department, Arlington Police Department, Grapevine Police Department, Lancaster Police Department, the State Department, IRS, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Plano Police Department, Farmers Branch Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Garland Police Department, Rowlett Police Department, Denton Police Department, Lewisville Police Department and McKinney Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert, Chief of NDTX’s Narcotics Section, and Phelesa Guy, Deputy Chief of the Narcotics Section, are prosecuting the criminal case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Beran, NDTX Opioids Coordinator, is handling the civil case.