Federal juries in Providence have found four Massachusetts men, Van Anh, Thinh Cao, both of Quincy, Khong Nguyen and Quoc Nguyen, both of Watertown, guilty of extortion for assaulting a West Warwick businessman in an attempt to collect a gambling debt.

United States Attorney Robert Clark Corrente announced the verdicts, which were returned after separate trials. Anh, Khong Nguyen and Cao were convicted at a trial last month. Today, a jury returned a guilty verdict against Quoc Nguyen after a two-day trial and about six hours of deliberation.

In the most recent trial, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra R. Beckner and James H. Leavey presented evidence that, in early 2005, a West Warwick businessman wagered and lost $12,000 on basketball games – $6,800 for himself and $5,200 that he said was on behalf of a friend.

A few weeks after the bets were placed, Anh, Khong Nguyen and a third individual visited the businessman at his shop and, making verbal threats, demanded that he pay the $12,000. The gambler subsequently paid Anh $6,800, the bets that he claimed were his.

On July 25, the Nguyens, who are brothers, and Cao went to the man’s shop, demanded that he pay the remaining $5,200 of the debt, and put him in touch with Anh by cell phone. After the victim told Anh that he wouldn’t pay, Khong and Quoc Nguyen beat him, with Cao directing the assault. The victim suffered minor injuries and, with the help of an associate, managed to flee. Quoc, Khong and Thinh Cao fled in their motor vehicle after West Warwick Police were contacted but, based on a license plate number, Massachusetts State Police stopped their vehicle and they returned to Rhode Island.

The FBI joined the investigation and, in December, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging the four men with conspiring to use extortionate means to collect a debt and with using extortionate means to collect a debt.

Anh, Khong Nguyen and Cao were found guilty of both charges. Quoc Nguyen was found guilty of extortion but not guilty of conspiracy. The statutory maximum penalty for each offense is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. All four men are detained pending sentencing.

The FBI, West Warwick Police and the Massachusetts State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leavey and Beckner are prosecuting it.