The family's lawyer may be trying to get cash found in the killer's Richmond condo

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The lawyer for the family of a man strangled in a botched kidnapping in 2015 may be looking for cash recently found in a condo the paroled killer shared with his wife.

Attorney Mark Thompson said he learned from a recent Postmedia News story that police found tens of thousands of dollars, along with chemicals used to make fentanyl and methamphetamine, at the Richmond waterfront condo where killer Tian Yi (Eddie) Zhang lived after he was last released from prison.

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Thompson is representing the parents of Peng Sun, who was accidentally strangled by a Zap strap around his neck when Zhang held him for ransom in a North Vancouver basement in September 2015.

In August 2020, Thompson, on behalf of his clients Cang Sun and Hua Li, won a British Columbia Supreme Court judgment ordering Zhang and others involved in the kidnapping to pay nearly $400,000 to the parents.

The majority of the money – $306,772 – was “for funds paid as ransom to Tian Yi (Eddie) Zhang.”

Thompson said no money was paid to the parents, who live in China.

Last month, Postmedia reported on a lawsuit filed by BC's director of civil forfeiture against Zhang and his wife, Ya Ran Li, seeking the forfeiture of Li's condominium, valued at $3.2 million, as well as $53,650 were found during a police search on December 20, 2023.

Also on the fifth floor were boxes of precursor chemicals, laboratory equipment and a money counting machine, all of which the director said were “instruments of criminal activity.”

Neither Zhang nor Li have been charged, but the Parole Board of Canada ordered Zhang to move to transitional housing based on the new allegations.

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Zhang filed a response to the government lawsuit on April 23, admitting that he had a “property interest” in the money and the money counting machine.

However, he denied that the cash or the ATM were instruments of criminal activity as alleged. He also claimed Richmond RCMP violated his Charter rights during the search.

Thompson said Zhang appeared to admit in his response that the money was at least partially his.

“I want to put a garnishment order on someone for this,” Thompson said of the money. He may also file a lien on Li's condominium if some of the missing ransom money was used as a down payment.

Thompson said he recently contacted his clients to update them on developments in the case.

“Anytime the parole board sends something like that or something like that, I feel compelled to reach out to them … and then of course it brings back a lot of bad memories,” Thompson said.

During the call, the father told him his son's last words about how the kidnappers had given him only 20 seconds to arrange for the ransom to be transferred.

“And then Eddie Zhang counted down the 20 seconds,” Thompson said. “And that was the last conversation with his son. So every time it comes up, you can imagine how it feels for the father.”

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Zhang pleaded guilty to manslaughter, false imprisonment and extortion in connection with Sun's kidnapping. In February 2017 he was sentenced to 11 years and 10 months in prison. He was granted full parole on November 1, 2023.

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