Tulsa World: Jay man accused of attempted opium distribution released on bond

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Jay man accused of attempted opium distribution released on bond

Xue Yang (right) was released Tuesday night. Wang Chong Khang (left) remains in jail held on $1 million bail. Both were charged Nov. 18 in DelawareCounty District Court with endeavoring to distribute a controlled substance.

By SHEILA STOGSDILL World Correspondent
Published: 11/27/2009 8:27 AM
Last Modified: 11/27/2009 12:21 PM

Related story: Feds nab two, seize 36 pounds of opium

JAY - A Delaware County man accused of attempting to distribute opium was released from jail after his bail was dropped from $1 million to $25,000, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

Xue Yang, 32, of Jay was released Tuesday night, said Bryce Lair, assistant district attorney. His attorney, Winston Connor II, was unavailable for comment.

Yang and Wang Chong Khang, 25, of Jay, were charged Nov. 18 in Delaware County District Court with endeavoring to distribute a controlled substance. Khang remains in jail held on $1 million bail.

"New information that relates to his involvement" was the reason Lair gave for the drastic reduction in the bail amount.

Lair declined to discuss specifics of the new information citing an on-going investigation.

"Given he is an established member of the community and is a local farmer he was not considered a flight risk," Lair said.

Khang is believed to have ties in Thailand, he said.

According to court records the men were charged after they picked up a package from the Colcord post office that contained opium. Federal agents seized 36 pounds of opium wrapped in plastic hidden inside mushrooms at a Dallas, Texas post office. The package was sent from Laos.

Agents repacked the box with a tracking device and about three pounds of opium. The package was delivered to the Colcord post office and picked up by Khang who left the post office in a van driven by Yang, an arrest affidavit states.

State drug agents believe the street value to be over $1 million.

Khang is due back in court Dec. 15 and Yang is to return to court Dec. 21.

By SHEILA STOGSDILL World Correspondent

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Reader comments for this story have been moved to the most updated version of the story, now under the headline "Opium defendant gets drop in bail," which was published on 11/28/2009. So far, 33 comments have been made.