Louisiana (RI) — The former owner of the Asian Palace Restaurant in Spirit Lake will spend the rest of his life in a Louisiana prison after being convicted of sex crimes in Louisiana.
Authorities say Choi Van Leo owned an Asian American restaurant in a suburb of Lake Charles, Louisiana, when he fled that state 25 years ago after learning he’d be arrested. Last year, a source told a Louisiana prosecutor Van Leo was likely living in Iowa, and Van Leo was arrested in Spirit Lake in May of 2024.
Louisiana authorities accused Leo of sexually abusing seven children between the ages of four and 12 over an eight year period. A jury convicted him last month. He’s been sentenced to life in a Louisiana prison without the possibility of parole.
KIWA Staff Photo
