Tony Ng
Wai Chiu “Tony” Ng, who 31 years ago participated in the worst mass killing in Seattle history, has been deported to Hong Kong following his parole from prison, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
Ng came to the U.S. in 1970 from Hong Kong to find work and eventually fell in with Kwai Fan “Willie” Mak and another man, Benjamin Ng (no relation). In the early morning hours of Feb. 19, 1983, the trio entered the Wah Mee Social Club, a back-alley gambling club in Seattle’s International District, and hogtied, robbed and shot 14 patrons, killing all but one.
Tony Ng fled to Canada, and Mak and Benjamin Ng were convicted of the killings that same year. Benjamin Ng was sentenced to life without parole and Mak was sentenced to death. Mak’s sentence has since been overturned and he is serving life without parole.
Tony Ng was arrested in Canada and extradited. At trial, he claimed Mak had threatened his family unless he participated in the robbery. Tony Ng has maintained that, while he had a gun, he never shot anyone.
He was convicted of 13 counts of first-degree robbery while armed with a deadly weapon and one count of second-degree assault with a deadly weapon.
Ng, 58, spent the next 28 years in prison, where he became a model prisoner. He was paroled last October over the objections of prosecutors and family members of the survivors. It was understood that he would be immediately deported after his release.
Andrew Munoz, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said Ng was escorted by ICE officers on a “multi-segment commercial flight” that left Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Tuesday morning and arrived at Hong Kong International Airport Wednesday.