Yesterday, the DOJ announced that Deck Won Kang pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with one count of violating the FCPA’s anti-bribery provisions. As discussed below, the enforcement action involved a rather unique scenario in that Kang allegedly promised things of value to a “foreign official” after the individual left public office.
According to the criminal information, Kang (a U.S. citizen who controlled two closely held companies with principal places of business in New Jersey) engaged in a bribery scheme in which he paid bribes to high-ranking official (“Official 1”) in the Korean Navy and a procurement official for the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DPA) – a state-owned and state-controlled agency within South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense that was responsible for the procurement of munitions and military equipment and supplies for the Korean Armed Forces.