Northern Mariana Islands: Admin of Korean Air Lines Office Sentenced for Financial Fraud
FBI secures victory in a financial fraud case involving local Korean Air Lines (KAL) office administrator, Sung Peel Hwang.
Background
- Hwang, a Republic of Korea national and naturalized US citizen, defrauded his employer KAL and Guam International Airport Authority (GIAA)
- Committed financial fraud between September 2015 and December 2018
- Performed various administrative tasks for Guam KAL office
Embezzlement Scheme
- Underreported Passenger Facility Charges (PFC) to GIAA, keeping the difference
- Deposited over $3.5 million into his personal account
- Illegally diverted an additional $600,000 for personal use
Consequences
- Sentenced to 41 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release
- Guilty plea for Bank Fraud and Money Laundering charges
- Hwang cheated his employer and GIAA out of substantial sum
Community Response
“Hwang cheated his employer and GIAA out of a substantial sum of money.”
- Shawn N. Anderson, U.S. Attorney’s Office for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands
Law Enforcement Cooperation
- Collaborative investigation between the FBI Guam Resident Agency and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division
- Prosecuted by Benjamin K. Petersburg, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Guam
FBI’s Stance
“The FBI is focused on addressing financial crimes that have an impact on our communities.”
- Steven Merrill, FBI Special Agent in Charge
IRS-CI’s Commitment
“We are committed to investigating and dismantling financial crimes.”
- Adam Jobes, IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge