Bergen Man Admits To Bribing Foreign Officials: U.S. Attorney

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, NJ — A New Jersey man admitted he paid a foreign official $100,000 in bribes to secure an improper business advantage and to obtain business contracts, the U.S. Attorney's Office officials announced Wednesday,

Deck Won Kang, 50, of Englewood Cliffs, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to charges of violating the anti-bribery provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

He faces a maximum of five years in prison, and as much as $250,000 in fines.

According to court documents and statements, from January 2009 to February 2013, Kang was a citizen of the United States, a resident of New Jersey, and an officer, director, employee and agent of two closely held New Jersey companies.

Authorities say those companies obtained, and retained, contracts with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), a state-owned and state-controlled agency within the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of National Defense.

Kang made promises to a high-ranking official in the Korean Navy, as well as a procurement official for DAPA, that he would "provide him with something of value once he left public office," according to authorities.

Officials said Kang made this promise for two reasons:

• To secure an improper business advantage by obtaining non-public information about the contracts aid the companies in obtaining and retaining the contracts
• To induce the foreign official to use his influence with the Korean Navy and DAPA to influence a decision of DAPA concerning the companies obtaining, and retaining, the contracts.

In doing so, Kang caused $100,000 to be sent to the foreign official between April 2012 and February 2013, authorities said.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 21, 2021.