Trung Duc Lu
| Trung Duc Lu | |
|---|---|
| FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive | |
| Charges |
|
| Reward | $1,000,000 |
| Alias |
|
| Description | |
| Born | October 1, 1980 Vietnam |
| Nationality | Vietnamese |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) |
| Weight | 140 lb (64 kg) |
| Occupation | Nail technician |
| Status | |
| Added | March 11, 2026 |
| Number | 539 |
| Currently a Top Ten Fugitive | |
Trung Duc Lu (born October 1, 1980) is a Vietnamese[1] criminal suspected of involvement in a double homicide in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on August 27, 2014.[2][3]
The murders pertained to a drug debt owed to the Vietnamese "Born to Kill" street gang based in New York. Lu is the last individual suspected of direct involvement in the case who has not been convicted.
On March 11, 2026, Lu was placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and is currently believed by American authorities to be in Vietnam.
Background
Lu was born in Vietnam in 1980 and moved to the United States as a teenager.[4] Residing in Queens, New York City, he is alleged to have been a member of the Vietnamese "Born to Kill" street gang (also known as "BTK" or the "Canal Boys").[5]
2014 double homicide
According to authorities, two Vietnamese brothers involved in the marijuana trade, Vu and Viet Huynh, and their acquaintance, Thanh Voong, received a large quantity of the drug from the "Born to Kill" gang to sell in Philadelphia on consignment; though after it was sold, they gambled away most of the proceeds.[3][6][7][8]
In August 2014, the gang sent Lu and two other members, Jason Rivera and John Dao,[2] from New York City to Philadelphia to collect the drug debt, which exceeded $100,000.[6][9] There, the Huynhs and Voong were lured to a home in Southwest Philadelphia owned by local gang contact Tam Le, where they were tied up and beaten in his garage before being brought to a parking lot on the Schuylkill River.[6] After $40,000 was recovered and all three were repeatedly stabbed, they were tossed into the river with buckets of cement tied to their bodies.[6][7][8] Voong survived the attack and swam out of the river, after which he notified police and led them to the crime scene.[6][8]
Authorities believe that Lu left the United States for Vietnam shortly after the incident.[6] In July 2019, he was charged in absentia.[7][10]
On March 11, 2026, Lu was placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list; the FBI believes he is living in Vietnam and is offering up to $1,000,000 for information leading to his capture.[11]
Other convictions
Tam Le was convicted and sentenced to death for his role in the murders and died behind bars in February 2025.[6] Jason Rivera and John Dao were also convicted, as was gang member Minh Nguyen for his involvement and their drug suppliers, Lam Trieu of New York and "Fat Man" of California.[2]
See also
References
- ^ Hazard, Charlotte (March 17, 2026). "Man wanted in connection to killing of two PA brothers added to FBI fugitive list". NewsChannel9. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
- ^ a b c "New York Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Double Homicide". United States Attorney's Office Eastern District of Pennsylvania. November 29, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
- ^ a b Mathis, Joel (September 22, 2014). "Here's a Mugshot of the Man Wanted in the Killing and Dumping of Two Men in the Schuylkill". Philadelphia. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
- ^ Weaver, Jared (March 11, 2026). "Fugitive charged in Pennsylvania kidnapping, killing of Vietnamese brothers makes FBI's most wanted". Yahoo News. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
- ^ "TRUNG DUC LU — FBI". Federal Bureau of Investigation. March 11, 2026. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g Rule, Kelly; Wilson, Brian (March 11, 2026). "Trung Duc Lu added to FBI's Ten Most Wanted for 2014 Philadelphia killings". FOX 29 Philadelphia. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
- ^ a b c Brandt, Joe; Snyder, Dan (March 11, 2026). "Trung Duc Lu added to FBI's Most Wanted List for kidnapping, murder of 2 Vietnamese brothers in Philadelphia". CBS News. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
- ^ a b c Kent, Maggie (March 11, 2026). "Suspect connected to murder of Philadelphia brothers added to FBI's 10 Most Wanted list". 6ABC. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
- ^ McVety, Molly (March 11, 2026). "Man connected to 2014 murder of 2 men in Philly added to FBI's Most Wanted Fugitives list". PhillyVoice. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
- ^ Mitman, Hayden (March 11, 2026). "FBI adds man sought in torture, murder of 2 men in Philly to 'most wanted' list". NBC10. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
- ^ Grissom, Jake (March 11, 2026). "$1 Million Bounty: FBI Puts Accused 'Born To Kill' Gang Member On Ten Most Wanted List". AOL. Retrieved April 2, 2026.