A 42-year-old man from Fountain Valley has been sentenced to life in federal prison for the murder of his friend, who owed him between $30,000 and $40,000. The crime took place on a lobster fishing boat off the coast of Dana Point Harbor.
Hoang “Wayne” Xuan Le was found guilty on December 10, 2021, of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and using a firearm to commit a violent crime. In February 2022, he pleaded guilty to eight drug charges, including cocaine and methamphetamine distribution.
Sheila Marie Ritze, a co-defendant from San Juan Capistrano, was convicted in April of the previous year for her involvement in the killing of Tri “James” Dao, a 44-year-old man. She received a sentence of 21 years and 10 months in federal prison in April of this year.
In a victim impact statement to U.S. District Judge David O. Carter, the mother of the victim, Anh Tran, expressed the pain of losing her son. She stated, “Every day is a tearful reminder that I will never see my son again, and his daughters will grow up without a father.” Tran also addressed Le, noting that he was a friend of Dao’s. She questioned how he could commit such a brutal act, saying, “You lured my son on what he thought was a fishing trip, only to shoot him, brutalize him, and leave him to die in the cold ocean.”
Tran further described Le as lacking any conscience and continuing to enjoy his life after the crime. She said, “You have not only killed him, but you have destroyed his family and ruined all our lives.” Addressing Le as an “evil and cruel demon,” Tran stated that he deserves a life in prison to pay for his sins and prevent him from causing harm to others.
In court papers, prosecutors emphasized the devastating impact of the crime on Dao’s family. They mentioned the grief experienced by Dao’s mother, widow, siblings, and two young children. The prosecutors described the offense as horrific, involving the shooting and beating of a defenseless man and leaving him to die in the ocean.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Scally, Le invited Dao to go lobster fishing with Ritze late at night off the coast of Dana Point Harbor. The timing and location of the fishing trip were unusual, indicating their intent to commit the crime. Dao was still alive when he was thrown overboard, as the cause of death was determined to be drowning. Scally argued that the brutal actions of the defendants clearly showed they intended to kill Dao.
Less than two weeks before the murder, Le and Ritze went on a road trip to Las Vegas, during which Le discussed using Ritze’s boat to carry out the crime. Le also shared his plans with his drug buddy, Shawn Whalin, and showed him a gun. Whalin chose not to participate in the murder.
After committing the crime, Le boasted to Whalin that he had “taken care of it.” Another friend overheard Le talking about killing Dao but did not report it, assuming he was bragging.
Scally presented text message discussions between Le and others regarding collecting on Dao’s debt as evidence. Le claimed self-defense during his testimony, but Scally pointed out inconsistencies in his story and highlighted the gunshot wound on Dao’s back as evidence against the self-defense claim.
Scally concluded, “If James Dao shot himself, he’s quite the contortionist.” He refuted Le’s claim of acting in self-defense by pointing out the multiple wounds on Dao’s head and the distance from shore, making it unlikely that Dao could have swum back after being dumped overboard.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
