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Read Full BioThe City of El Monte has filed a civil abatement claim against a Chinese man reportedly using a Los Angeles property as the base of a criminal enterprise.
The complaint alleges that Guojun Xuan, 65, and his partner Sylvia Zhang, 38, have allowed illegal gambling and drug manufacturing to take place at Pacific Place, located on Valley Boulevard in El Monte.
The LA Times reports that there have been multiple police raids on Pacific Place in the last four years, including:
December 9, 2021 – Police pulled over a man leaving the property and found five pounds of methamphetamine in his car. Inside Pacific Place, detectives found an illicit casino: electronic gambling tables, flashing machines, and cash. Police seized the gambling machines, drugs, and money.
2022 (date not specified in records): Another raid uncovered a marijuana stash house operating inside part of the complex.
March 2023 – After Zhang reported being attacked by a tenant, police searched the unit. Officers discovered a psilocybin mushroom farm and seized 1,715 pounds of mushrooms, 95 pounds of concentrated cannabis wax, ammunition, and guns. The tenant was identified as Haoren “Dragon” Ma, a convicted felon with prior fraud and drug charges.
August 31, 2023 – Police detained Ma near the property. In his vehicle, they found one pound of marijuana and one pound of psilocybin mushrooms.
December 2024 – Detectives found an illegal gambling parlor, seizing gambling machines, poker, and mahjong tables. A man living in the warehouse admitted he managed the gambling parlor for a group he called “the six friends.”
Earlier this year, former NBA player Gilbert Arenas was also arrested for hosting illegal gambling in his LA mansion. However, the list of offenses at the facility owned by Xuan far exceeds Arenas’ high-stakes poker games.
After the police raids, Xuan transferred ownership of the property to other companies he controlled “to conceal ownership, frustrate enforcement and continue Ma’s unlawful gambling and narcotics operations,” El Monte’s complaint said.
Child Abuse Found at Xuan’s Private Mansion
In addition to the drugs, illegal gambling, and firearms, Xuan has also been implicated in child abuse. Together with Zhang, the couple has 22 children, with 21 born through surrogacy.
In May this year, the couple were arrested over allegations of child abuse, but released with no charges. The children’s nanny, Chunmei Li, is wanted over video evidence that she caused head injuries to a two-month-old baby.
“It’s suspected that she (Li) is responsible for some head injuries sustained by a 2-month-old that was living there at the house,” said Sgt. Mario Castro with the Arcadia Police Department.
ABC also showed evidence of teachers and nannies spanking children in what appears to be a classroom inside the house. All the children can be seen with shaved heads. One image shows a child with pants down across a desk being spanked in front of the class.
The El Monte filing is a civil action, not a criminal case. Its primary purpose is to declare the property a public nuisance and stop illegal activity. However, the list of crimes at the property makes it a mystery how Xuan has been able to evade law enforcement.
