The owner and the madame of a Korean room salon in Falls Church were sentenced April 15 for conspiracy to both harbor illegal aliens and to induce illegal aliens to reside in the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain.
The owner and the madame of a Korean room salon in Falls Church were sentenced April 15 for conspiracy to both harbor illegal aliens and to induce illegal aliens to reside in the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain.
Sang Bun Surh, 52, of Falls Church, was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Young Mi Kim, 41, of Falls Church, was sentenced to 16 months in prison. Both defendants were also ordered to cooperate in their subsequent removal from the United States.On Dec. 2, 2010, the defendants pled guilty to the charges. Young Mi Kim also pled guilty to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud in relation to her fraudulent marriage to a United States citizen. According to court documents, “High Society” (also known as “Tomato” and “Tomato Garden”) was a Korean karaoke bar/club that advertised as a “room salon,” a club containing private rooms where customers consumed liquor. Provocatively dressed Korean female hostesses would serve the drinks to and then drink, flirt, sing and dance with the customers.
Sang Bun Surh was the owner of the club and Young Mi supervised the female hostesses.
In their plea agreement, the defendants admitted that, since December 2007, dozens of female employees that investigators encountered at the club were illegal aliens from South Korea. The conspirators admitted that they used apartments in Annandale to harbor the illegal aliens who worked at the club and that they or co-conspirators sometimes booked flights for the aliens.
The defendants also admitted that the room salon grossed over $4 million since December 2007.
