2 PG County Liquor Officials Arrested on Bribery Charges

HYATTSVILLE, MD — The FBI has arrested two Prince George's County Liquor Board officials and two business owners on bribery charges after a Thursday morning raid at the commission's office.

Anuj Sud, 39, of Hyattsville and David Dae Sok Son, 40, of Bowie were charged with bribery conspiracy, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice. The DOJ has also filed bribery charges against PG County business owners Young Jung Paig, 62, of Beltsville and Shin Ja Lee, 55, of Landover.

"The defendants allegedly conspired to engage in bribery in order to influence public officials in the performance of their official duties in Prince George’s County," reads the DOJ statement. "Son, Paig, and Lee are also charged with a bribery conspiracy to influence the State of Maryland."

U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said the defendants paid cash bribes to county officials in return for "favorable action concerning liquor licenses," adding: "Our government is not supposed to work that way."

Son is the director of the board and Sud is a commissioner. Paig is the owner of the Central Avenue Restaurant and Liquor Store, and Lee is the owner of Palmer Liquor Store.

The affidavit alleges that Son solicited bribes from business owners, including Paig and Lee, in amounts ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. Son facilitated three bribe payments to an elected official from 2012 to 2013, according to the statement.

Son cashed in on the "Sunday Sales Bill" in 2015, which established up to 100 Sunday liquor sales permits in PG County, the affidavit claims.

"On April 22, 2015, after the passage of the bill, Son arranged a lunch with the elected official, with Paig and Lee," the statement reads. "During the lunch, Son told the elected official to meet Paig in the men’s bathroom, saying that Paig is '…going to hook you up.' In the men’s bathroom, Paig handed the elected official an envelope containing a total of $4,000 cash. On October 19, 2015, Son received a $4,000 bribe payment from a lobbyist for his assistance in ensuring that the lobbyist’s clients received Sunday Sales licenses."

Sud is accused of working with a lobbyist to vote favorably in upcoming hearings concerning the lobbyist's clients in exchange for money in December 2015. The lobbyist met with Sud and gave him $1,000 cash after each hearing went favorably for his clients, the statement adds.

Son, Sud, Paig and Lee face a maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy, and a maximum of 10 years for bribery.

Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker expressed disappointment at the news in a statement.

"I am very concerned and deeply disappointed to learn of the news this morning that the Prince George’s County Liquor Board offices were raided and arrests were made by the FBI," he said. "Given the vigilance of my administration over the past six years to restore confidence in the Government, I commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) for their engagement and oversight of any corruption that takes place in Prince George’s County."