PROVIDENCE — A member of a violent Asian street gang pleaded guilty yesterday to charges that he participated in a plot to break in to the home of a fictitious drug dealer and rob him at gunpoint.

Nheat Nhim, 21, of 329 Webster Ave., Cranston, entered pleas of guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime, and of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The authorities say that Nhim, originally from California, is a member of the Cranston Asian Boyz who joined forces with three members of the Providence-based Laos Pride street gang.

U.S. District Judge William E. Smith scheduled sentencing for Jan. 4 at 2 p.m. He faces life imprisonment and fines totaling $750,000.

In September 2001, Nhim, then 15, was tried as an adult and sentenced to 20 years in prison with 9 years to serve, for breaking in to a house in Cranston, binding the family with duct tape and setting the house on fire. The victims broke free and escaped with minor injuries.

Last spring, Nhim, Khek Choummalaithong, 28, of 74 Pekin St., Providence; Vixay Phommarath, 21, unknown address; and Souvanh Keosouvanh, 28, of 673 Atwells Ave., Providence, were arrested at gunpoint in a parking lot in Cranston.

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said the gang members had a 12-gauge shotgun and two pistols. They alleged that the group was prepared to rob the fictitious drug dealer — a character created by the federal agents — tie him up and steal 6 kilograms of cocaine.

The affidavit portrays Nhim and his codefendants as violent felons who were eager to invade a home with “burners,” street parlance for guns.

According to an ATF affidavit in support of the arrest warrants, Keosouvanh was the leader of the gang. In 2001, he was convicted on charges stemming from an armed home invasion in the Buttonwoods section of Warwick. He was sentenced to 20 years in the Adult Correctional Institutions — 6 years to serve with 14 years suspended. He was paroled last year.

In March, the affidavit states, Edward J. Troiano, a special agent for ATF, received information that Keosouvanh was dealing Ecstasy and crack cocaine in Providence. It also said that Keosouvanh had a semiautomatic pistol.

Troiano and his office had an Asian agent pose as a courier of drugs between Providence and Boston. The agent allegedly bought Ecstasy tablets from Keosouvanh for $8 each on several occasions.

During one of the meetings, the agent told Keosouvanh that he wanted to try to “set up” the drug supplier that he picked up drugs from in Providence. Keosouvanh was wary of trusting anyone after spending several years in prison.

He told the agent that he had his own crew for the proposed home invasion.

“I got people that’s good at that,” Keosouvanh said, according to the affidavit. “They’re really good at that, and they won’t talk, I guarantee.”

The agent continued to meet Keosouvanh at different locations in Providence. The affidavit says that the felon always drove a black Mercedes-Benz sedan and it’s apparent that he had plenty of experience with home invasions.

“You gotta know the house, because sometimes you gotta go through one door and then another door,” Keosouvanh was recorded saying. “You start making noise and they’re ready for you. They might blow your head off, so you gotta be quick about it and know who’s in the front and who’s in the back.”

On April 26, Nhim, Keosouvanh and the other two men met the agent at a prearranged spot in Providence. The four gang members climbed into the agent’s car. They were all armed with weapons, including Choummalaithong, who carried a shotgun wrapped in a sweatshirt. They drove together to a second parking lot in Cranston where they were arrested by a team of federal agents.

Yesterday, Nhim did not challenge the version of events presented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha that led to his arrest and the charges against the three other gang members.

Neronha said that Choummalaithong and Phommarath have also signed plea agreements and they are expected to formally enter their pleas in court in the next few days. They are being held at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls.

bmalinow@projo.com