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A 33-year-old Chinese citizen was Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle for his involvement in a violent kidnapping and assault in Bellevue. 

According to U.S. Acting Attorney Teal Luthy Miller, Ji Wang was arrested in the Los Angeles area last year, after being linked to the 2023 abduction and brutal assault of a restaurant worker in Bellevue, Washington.

During the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robert remarked on the severity of the crime.

“They not only kidnapped the victim but brutally assaulted him … It did serious injuries and permanent damage …. It’s about as callous a set of circumstances and as malicious an assault short of actually killing someone,” he said.

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More on Bellevue assault

The case details reveal that Ji Wang was connected to a human smuggling ring that trafficked individuals across the southern U.S. border for a fee. Wang, who had been illegally smuggled into the United States less than two weeks before the kidnapping, played a role in this illicit operation.

The victim, who worked at the hot pot restaurant, was also involved in the smuggling operation by referring Chinese nationals seeking to cross into the U.S. for illegal services. 

Wang and a co-conspirator traveled to Bellevue, where they forcibly abducted the victim from his workplace. They beat the victim, smashing his face into the concrete and dragging him down a flight of stairs. 

Wang and his associate then dropped the critically injured victim at a service station in Bellevue. The victim fell into a coma for six weeks and underwent four skull surgeries. 

Because Wang was staying illegally in the U.S., he will likely face deportation after completing his prison sentence.

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