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Deck Won Kang, 50, a U.S. citizen from Englewood Cliffs, was an officer, director, employee, and agent of two closely held New Jersey companies when he promised “something of value” to a high-ranking official in the Korean Navy when he left office.
The official had worked for a state-owned and -controlled agency within the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of National Defense, federal authorities said.
FBI agents arrested Kang after he sent $100,000 to the foreign official, they said.
The bribe’s purpose, they said, was to:
- secure an improper business advantage, specifically obtaining non-public information about the contracts;
- help the companies secure and maintain the contracts;
- induce the foreign official to use his influence with the Korean Navy and defense ministry toward those ends.
Kang took a deal from the government rather than go to trial.
He pleaded guilty via a videoconference with a federal judge in Newark on Thursday to violating the anti-bribery provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Announcing the plea Thursday were U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Craig Carpenito, Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the U.S. Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. of the FBI’s Newark Field Office.
Carpenito credited the FBI and thanked the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs for the investigation leading to the plea, secured by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Della Sentilles of the Fraud Section of the Department of Justice.
U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi scheduled sentencing for April 21.
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