South Korean National Pleads Guilty To Million Dollar Bank Fraud Scheme, Illegal Re-Entry, And False Use Of Passport

OAKLAND - Sangsoo Kim pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to Illegal Re-Entry, False Use of a Passport, Fraudulent Use of One or More Counterfeit Access Devices, and Bank Fraud.

Sangsoo Kim, 56, a national of South Korea was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 16, 2025. Under the plea agreement, Kim pleaded guilty to 4 felony counts.

In pleading guilty, Kim admitted that in 2020, he was convicted of a felony fraud offense and was deported as a result of that conviction. Sometime thereafter, he illegally re-entered the United States. After illegally re-entering the United States, he executed a scheme wherein he used a fraudulent passport to open 72 fraudulent bank accounts at various banks. Beginning no later than November of 2023, Kim executed a check-kiting scheme, where he deposited fraudulent checks into the bank accounts and then quickly withdrew money from the account before the bank became aware the check was fraudulent. Kim admitted he carried out this scheme from at least November of 2023 through at least July of 2025, resulting in a loss amount of $1,195.795.96. As a result of his guilty plea, Kim agreed to forfeit more than $144,000 in cash that was seized in relation to his criminal activity.

Kim is currently in federal custody. Kim's sentencing hearing is scheduled on October 7, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr. Defendant faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years and a $1,000,000 fine for his Bank Fraud conviction; 10 years and a fine of $250,00 for each conviction of Illegal Re-Entry and False Use of a Passport; and 30 years and a fine of $250,000 for his Fraudulent Use of One or More Counterfeit Access Devices conviction. Any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily R. Dahlke is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Jessie Chelsea and Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation