After a two day trial, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court on Thursday gave death sentences to three men belonging to the five-member gang that robbed eight gold shops in HCMC and four provinces many years ago.Huynh Van Tiem, 54, of Tay Ninh; Le Anh Kiet, 49, of HCMC; and Nguyen Van Nhan, 56, were sentenced to death on three charges: murder, robbery, and illegally storing and using weapons.These men were the instigators of the gang’s robberies, during which they killed an owner of a gold shop and injured 15 others, the jury said.The two other gang members, Phan Van Tuong, 40, and Dang Van Phuoc, were sentenced to life and 15 years in jail, respectively.After carrying out eight robberies from 2000-2004, the gang appropriated more than 800 taels of gold (1 tael equals 1.2 ounces), 84 diamonds, and tens of thousands of US dollars and other foreign currencies in cash.They robbed gold shops including K’ Tan Tien, Phu Khin and Kim Quang in Tay Ninh Province; Kim Loc in Long An Province; Bao Hoa in Dong Nai Province; Tu Minh in Vinh Long Province; and Thanh Tam and Kim Thanh, both in HCMC.In the robbery at Kim Thanh shop in the Pham The Hien Market in HCMC’s District 8 on October 2, 2004, Kiet shot to death Doan My, the shop’s owner, when he was resisted the robbers.My’s wife, Nguyen Thi Cam Thanh, was injured in the robbery.On October 8, 2011, when the gang members were discussing plans of robbery g at a café in District 7, police, who were acting on a tip-off from the public, rushed in and seized all of them.