SoCal man indicted for allegedly working as North Korean agent

LOS ANGELES (AP) Federal grand jurors indicted a Santa Monica businessman Tuesday on charges of failing to tell the U.S. government he was working as an agent of North Korea, a U.S. attorney spokesman said.

The indictment also charged John Joungwoong Yai and his wife, Susan Yai, of transporting more than $10,000 cash into the United States, making false statements to the U.S. Customs Service regarding the cash, and conspiring to make false statements to the Customs Service, said U.S. attorney spokesman Thom Mrozek.

Yai could be sentenced to as much as 10 years in prison on the failing to register charge. He and his wife each face as much as 15 years in prison on the other charges.

Yai is being held without bail pending a Monday arraignment. His wife, who remains free, will be ordered to appear at that arraignment, Mrozek said.

Federal prosecutor Daniel Goodman said there is evidence Yai was attempting to recruit agents for North Korea who could be used as ``moles'' in government agencies and that ``he was tasked specifically to get top-secret information.''

The 59-year-old snack shop owner was not charged with espionage, but prosecutors have said that was because they did not uncover any evidence showing he was successful in obtaining or passing on classified documents.

Yai's attorney, William Genego, has stated flatly that his client was not a spy, adding that although the government watched him for seven years, read his mail and e-mail, and monitored his telephone calls it could not gain enough evidence to charge him with that crime.

Yai was taken into custody Feb. 4 when FBI agents searched his house and office and took his passport.

In arguing unsuccessfully for bail earlier this month, Genego said Yai is a naturalized U.S. citizen who has lived in this country since 1975 and has a daughter at Stanford University and a son living at home who has been accepted into law school.

``He's a hardworking Korean businessman,'' the attorney said, adding Yai has been a U.S. property owner and businessman for many years.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)