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South Korean pleads guilty in Canadian-US prostitution ring
May 25, 2005
Boise — A South Korean citizen has pleaded guilty to smuggling 13 women and a
man into Idaho from Canada as part of an alleged prostitution ring.
Bum Suk (Michael) Kim, 33, faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 (U.S.)
fine. He entered his plea in U.S. District Court in Coeur d'Alene on Monday,
U.S. Attorney Tom Moss said.
Another man, Sang Yoon (Steven) Kim, 29, of Surrey, B.C., pleaded guilty to the
same charge earlier this month. The two are not related.
In a plea agreement, Michael Kim said he was paid between $300 and $350 for
each of the 14 people, and said he knew they were illegal immigrants and could
not legally enter the United States.
Investigators claim that on April 1, the two men drove together from Los
Angeles, where Michael Kim lived, to Worley, Idaho, where Steven Kim dropped
off Michael Kim at the Coeur d'Alene Casino and Resort. Steven Kim then
apparently picked up the 14 people near the Canadian border, but was stopped
and arrested on Highway 95 by Border Patrol agents, who had been tipped off by
an informant. Michael Kim was arrested April 3 in Worley.
Authorities believe Michael Kim, himself an illegal immigrant, wanted to stay
at the resort about 210 kilometres south of the Canadian border to avoid a
chance encounter with U.S. immigration officials.
Michael Kim is expected to be sentenced Aug. 2. A sentencing date for Steven
Kim has not been scheduled.
U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge said during an earlier proceeding that there
appeared to be strong evidence the women were intended to become prostitutes in
California. The Idaho legislature has formed an interim study committee to
determine whether human trafficking is on an upswing in the state following
other reports of border smuggling.
Associated Press
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