HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — A Korean Air office manager was charged on suspicion of depositing company checks into his personal bank account.
Sung Peel Hwang, also known as Don Sungpeel Hwang, was indicted on charges of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering in the District Court of Guam.
According to the indictment, Hwang worked as an office manager for Korean Air’s Guam office and was responsible for managing the airline’s account at the Bank of Guam.
One of his duties as office manager involved determining how much the airline would need to pay the Guam International Airport Authority a passenger facility charge, or PFC, for each passenger on each flight operated out of Guam.
After reporting the number of passengers to Korean Air, money would be wired to the on-island bank account, and Hwang was responsible for issuing the check to the airport.
From December 2015 to December 2018, however, Hwang “fraudulently modified legitimate KAL checks made to pay PFC and other office expenses by changing the payee to himself,” before allegedly depositing the checks into his personal checking account, the indictment states. Additionally, with some checks, he allegedly forged the signature of his co-signatory to make them appear legitimate.
Hwang then issued checks to the airport that had less than the true amount KAL owed, according to the indictment.
In the span of three years, Hwang allegedly deposited 15 checks in amounts ranging from $1,000 to $95,000.
The indictment also calls for Hwang, if convicted, to forfeit the amount he deposited to himself to the United States government.
Located in Texas
Hwang was indicted in the District Court of Guam last month. His case had been under seal until he was located in Dallas and his case was filed in the Northern District of Texas’ federal court. Hwang elected to have any subsequent hearings to be held on Guam upon transfer of the case.
The latest entry in the District Court records shows Hwang will be represented by Rawlen Mantanona, but no hearings have been scheduled yet for his case.
OPA audit
According to Post files, an Office of Public Accountability audit in 2019 alleged that Korean Air’s former Guam-based manager was the subject of an embezzlement allegation in a similar time period as Hwang’s charges allege.
At the time the audit was released, the Guam International Airport Authority didn’t name the individual but it was understood the “individual fled to the mainland U.S.”
The Korea Times also reported that Korean Air had “registered the missing former manager with Interpol.”
The audit report also showed a discrepancy in the passenger facility charge over a period of three years ending in 2018. After the audit was conducted and Korean Air was notified, they paid the airport the amount owed.
A Korean Air plane makes its final approach to land at the A.B. Won Pat Guam International Airport on Thursday, May 4, 2023.
