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Tony Hu
Tony Hu
Bryan Steffy/Getty Images
Ashok Selvam is the editor of Eater Chicago and a native Chicagoan armed with more than two decades of award-winning journalism. Now covering the world of restaurants and food, his nut graphs are super nutty.

It appears the proverbial other shoe has dropped for Tony Hu, as federal authorities charged the "Mayor of Chinatown" for money laundering and underreporting cash receipts from 2010 to 2014. The restaurateur, known for Lao Sze Chuan, faces 30 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

The 48-year-old Hu (whose real name is Hu Xiaojun), who owns three Lao Sze Chuans in Chicago, three in the suburbs, one in Las Vegas and another in Connecticut, was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. The Sun-Times first reported the news.

In October 2014, federal authorities raided Hu's restaurants and removed records in those infamous white boxes. Months later, a report surfaced that the FBI suspected tax fraud. He would later divest himself from several of his Chinatown restaurants.

Lao Sze Chuan

304 Southeast Oak Street, , MN 55414 (612) 886-3906 Visit Website