Jabin Botsford/The Washington PostRobert K. Hur, to lead the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s office
Congratulations to Mr. Robert K. Hur for becoming the second Korean-American U.S. Attorney. His nomination has been confirmed, and he leads the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office. We are excited to invite him to Los Angeles to celebrate his appointment.
Courtesy of UC Irvine School of LawL. Song Richardson Appointed Dean of University of California, Irvine School of Law
Congratulations to L. Song Richardson, 2nd Dean of the University of California, Irvine School of Law. She becomes the only woman of color to lead a top-30 law school in America, and her mother is Korean.
UC Irvine announced that L. Song Richardson will be the new dean of its 9-year-old School of Law following the departure of founding dean Erwin Chemerinsky.
Senate Confirms BJay Pak as the U.S. Attorney. 1st Korean-American.
Congratulations to Byung BJay Pak for becoming the 1st Korean-American U.S. Attorney.
The U.S. Senate late Thursday confirmed Atlanta attorney and former federal prosecutor Byung J. “BJay” Pak as the new U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta.
Richard Park and Julius Nam, Recipients Of US Attorney Director’s Award
The Director’s Awards recognize employees of the United States Attorneys’ offices (USAOs) and the Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA), as well as other individuals, who have supported the mission of these offices and who have distinguished themselves through extraordinary professional achievements and excellence. The recognition of 11 of our AUSAs in the areas of Civil, Criminal (AUSAs and SAUSA), Appeals, and Management is symbolic of the outstanding work and tireless dedication of these individuals as well as recognition of our Office’s work as a whole.
Superior Performance as an AUSA – Civil
AUSA Richard Park is recognized for his substantial contribution to the successful settlement between the Department of Justice and the Los Angeles County Superior Court, which ensures that limited English proficient (LEP) court users throughout the County of Los Angeles will have access to timely and accurate language assistance services. AUSA Park was involved in this five-year Justice Department investigation from the beginning, and devoted substantial time to the investigation and resolution of this case, while also handling a full caseload of civil defensive matters during this time period. AUSA Park’s dedication and commitment to this matter helped ensure an excellent result for the Department of Justice and the residents of Los Angeles County.
Superior Performance as an AUSA-Criminal
Judith A. Heinz, Deirdre Z. Elliot, and Julius J. Nam are recognized for their outstanding performance in the prosecution of two California men who conspired to join the Islamic State of Syria and the Levant (“ISIL”). These defendants plotted to fight on the front lines, recruited others to join them, and committed bank and financial aid fraud to finance their scheme. The conspirators used social media to communicate directly with prominent ISIL figures and one of the perpetrators of the May 3, 2015 attack in Garland, Texas. The FBI arrested the conspirators when one of the men sought to board a flight from Los Angeles to Turkey to join ISIL. After extensive litigation involving classified material and a two-week trial, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all charges. The court later sentenced defendants to 30 years in prison, the longest sentences as yet imposed in an ISIL traveler case.
It Takes Korean Prosecutors to Convict Korean Fraudsters in San Diego County, California
Deputy District Attorney (DDA) Jeanie Williams prosecuted nine defendants involved in the Good Neighbor Services, Inc. (GNS) janitorial business, for the largest premium fraud case in San Diego County. The Kwon family owned and operated the janitorial staffing agency used by luxury hotels throughout California. They substantially underreported payroll to their workers’ compensation carriers and Employment Development to reduce their workers’ compensation premiums and payroll taxes. They concealed over $15 million in payroll by persuading family members, business associates, and employees of GNS to create shell companies.
DDA Williams and DDA Daniel Bahk discussed the case with Insurance Fraud Chief Dominic Dugo. Together, they brought in Mr. Yeongsu Jeong, a South Korean Prosecutor, who recently received his L.L.M. in comparative law from University San Diego Law School. He was assigned to the Insurance Fraud Division, and was instrumental in the partial resolution of this case.
When Mr. Jeong was first assigned to the Division, DDAs Min Yoon and Bahk spent time providing him with direction to get started on the GNS case. Ms. Yoon and Mr. Bahk made themselves available to speak with him in Korean, which made the transition easier for him. Mr. Jeong translated and summarized hundreds of hours of jail calls. This saved the DA’s office more than $300,000. Mr. Jeong reviewed the relevant jury instructions, the grand jury transcript, and the search warrant affidavits. Within hours, he fully grasped the charges, the scheme, and relevant information needed from the jail calls.
Mr. Jeong briefed DDA Jeanie Williams on the substance of the jail calls and identified additional suspects, shell companies, and other fraudulent schemes. In addition, he interviewed Korean speaking witnesses and suspects. His assistance on the GNS case was invaluable. He showed a wealth of understanding regarding schemes and financial transactions in the Korean community.
So far, co-defendant Ms. Woo Hui Kwon pleaded guilty in the GNS case and was sentenced to six years eight months in custody combined with restitution of $1.3 million paid out of the $6.3 million stipulated in her plea deal. Mr. Jeong played a large part in the success of this case because of his outstanding efforts as a volunteer prosecutor for the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office in the Insurance Fraud Division.
