Man charged with smuggling Koreans

http://www.omakchronicle.com/news/hnews6.shtml

Man charged with smuggling Koreans near Oroville

SPOKANE - A Korean man, wanted since November 2005 on suspicion of smuggling a dozen Korean national in to the United States near Oroville, has been arrested in Los Angeles, Calif. James A. McDevitt, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced the arrest of Jeong Ho Kim, 38. He was arrested by U.S. Immigation and Customs Enforcement agents in an apartment in Los Angeles. Kim faces federal charges in Spokane for allegedly transporting the seven women and five men over the border illegally, according to McDevitt. Federal officials allege the 12 were destined for the Los Angeles area when they were apprehended Nov. 28, 2005, by Border Patrol agents near Oroville. They were in a rented Chevrolet Tahoe. While Kim was not with them, he allegedly rented the vehicle at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and instructed another person where to pick up the 12 people near the border, according to the indictment. ICE agents say the investigation into alleged alien smugglng scheme is ongoing. A federal grand jury handed down a 13-count indictment against Kim Feb. 7. He is charged with conspiracy to transport illegal alients and 12 counts of aiding and abetting the transportation of illegal aliens, according to McDevitt's announcement. "The Department of Justice and this office place a high priority on these cases because of the serious threat that human smuggling presents to our country and the integrity of our borders," said McDevitt. "Human smuggling is an enforcement priority for ICE because it undermines the integrity of our nation's legal immigration system," said Leigh Winchell, special agent in charge of ICE investigations in Washington. "Additionally, smuggled aliens are often treated as a commodity and are exploited by the criminal networks that brought them here." Kim made an initial appearance in federal court in Los Angeles Feb. 23 and waived his right to an identity hearing. A magistrate judge ordered him held without bond; Kim agreed to be returned to Spokane to face the charges. A conviction for conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. Each of the 12 transportation of an illegal alien counts carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000, according to McDevitt's announcement. The prosecution is being handled by Pamela Byerly, assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.