U.S. Department of Justice United States Attorney Western District of Washington 601 Union Street, Suite 5100 Tel: (206) 553-7970 Seattle, Washington  98101-3903 Fax: (206) 553-0882

John McKay, United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington and Rick Raven, Special Agent In Charge, Pacific Northwest Division, IRS-CID, announced today that on April 10, 2002, a federal grand jury in Seattle returned a 13-count Indictment against KWANGBAE PETRA KIM.  The Indictment charges KIM with aiding and assisting in the filing of false and fraudulent income tax returns and with attempting to interfere with and obstruct the due administration of internal revenue laws.

According to court documents, KWANGBAE PETRA KIM prepared false and fraudulent Individual Income Tax Returns (Forms 1040) for taxpayers who paid for her assistance for tax years 1997, 1998, and 1999.  These returns were false and fraudulent as to material matters, in that KIM prepared false and fraudulent Schedules C and C-EZ reporting income and business expenses which KIM knew were false.  As a result the taxpayers who she assisted substantially under-report their taxable income and the tax due and owing.  This fraud also resulted in incorrect Earned Income Tax Credits and tax refund amounts.  During this period, KIM assisted at least 50 taxpayers in the preparation of tax returns which included false and fraudulent Schedules C and C-EZ, causing a loss to the United States of taxes that were due and owing in excess of $150,000.

The public is reminded that an Indictment contains only allegations, and that all defendants are presumed innocent and must be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case was investigated by Special Agent Michael Grosman, Criminal Investigations Division, Internal Revenue Service and by Evelyn Stone, Revenue Agent, Internal Revenue Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey C. Sullivan

For further information please contact Press Spokesperson Lawrence Lincoln at (206) 553-4127, or Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey C. Sullivan at (206) 553-7970.

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