Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Thursday, April 25, 2024 81° Today's Paper


Top News

Hawaii couple sentenced to prison after evading $4 million in taxes

A couple who didn’t file IRS returns for 13 years will spend time in prison for evading more than $4 million in taxes.

U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson on Thursday sentenced Calvin Kim, 55, to 36 months in prison. His wife, Chun Cha Kim, 64, was sentenced to 12 months, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Honolulu.

Calvin Kim pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the government and Chun Cha Kim pleaded guilty to willfully failing to pay taxes, according to a press release. The couple skipped out on taxes from 1999 through 2012.

In addition to prison sentences, they were ordered to pay back taxes and penalties amounting to $1,969,463 and $1,937,267, respectively; face criminal fines of $250,000 and $100,000, respectively; and both agreed to pay IRS fraud assessments, which could amount to an additional civil penalty of $3 million. According to information produced to the court, the Kims already have paid more than $4 million in back taxes and interest, U.S. Attorney Florence T. Nakakuni said.

The Kims operated two companies that sold heating pads and other products, and in October 2000 became followers of so-called “tax protesters,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Court documents show that from 2005 to 2012, their business tax returns showed earnings ranging from $418,238 to $971,983 for Calvin Kim for each year, and $271,564 to $1,000,562 for Chun Cha Kim.

26 responses to “Hawaii couple sentenced to prison after evading $4 million in taxes”

  1. lokela says:

    Wow they had a good business going on. Made some money. However, greed ran through their veins and now they will have different room mates.

  2. awahana says:

    And yet, Apple, Trump, and Clintons skip millions in taxes, for decades, and they become leaders of the free world!

    America, what a country!

    Minorities, go to jail!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GK8ewRec7c

    • sewhite says:

      You are entitled to your own opinions, but not your own FACTS. The Clintons’ tax returns are available for anyone to see them,(Google Clinton taxes) which show they paid between 36 and 45 percent of their annual income in federal and state taxes for the past 15 years. Donald did not share his tax returns, and did not dispute reports that he used a dodgy loophole (no longer legal) to claim millions in income losses and avoid taxes for years.

    • dragoninwater says:

      Well, you do have to remember these two DIDN’T file taxes at all and didn’t use the LEGAL tax laws in place to pay no matter how much or how little owed based on the tax structure in place. That is a big difference between not bothering to file and thinking you can beat the Treasury Department. Frankly, others that haven’t filed or paid for many years managed to quickly settle with the IRS once the IRS contacted them about owed taxes and managed to sweetly avoid jail, make me wonder if these two didn’t fight the IRS to cause such a harsh prison sentence.

  3. fiveo says:

    Kind of amazing how greedy some people can be. Wonder if they were cheating on their state taxes as well.
    Even if they were, very unlikely that the State would do anything as they always go for the low hanging fruit.

    • dragoninwater says:

      Krook Caldwell won’t let it happen, as long as their HI based business contributes to the GET surcharge tax he will do everything in his power to keep his choo-choo on track and on budget. haaaaaaa

  4. FWS says:

    Wanting to keep the money you earn isn’t being greedy, it’s capitalism. The liberals would have us believe that paying taxes is some kind of civic duty, it’s really just a way for the liberals to pick the earners’ pockets to get money to pay for pet social projects and to buy more votes with free stuff. Make the tax code more fair and more people will be willing to pay. Too bad for these folks because they got caught and the liberals chose to make an example out of them.

    • LKK56 says:

      These people did not file and pay any – any income taxes for 13 years. Yet, they enjoyed the security on our country provided by our armed forces and whatever other services provided by the Federal and State governments. Filing taxes is not a Democrat thing or a Republican thing, it is an American thing. They took money from all of us.

    • dragoninwater says:

      They weren’t too bright, they could have used the tax code to their advantage. They could have had a ALL CASH business to hide their income/assets and claimed they were illegal Mexicans with 3 kids using stolen SSN numbers from Americans and then they would have received about $6,100 a month in welfare benefits from the government. The big mistake they made was not filing to collect! haaaa 😉 (End of sarcasm despite this being a very exact practice millions of illegals do every single year)

  5. MillionMonkeys says:

    “The Kim’s operated two companies…”

    CORRECTION: The Kims….

  6. amela says:

    Wow I wonder when is Trump going to release his tax papers. And what’s the update on suing those lying women?

    • dragoninwater says:

      He doesn’t pay taxes, he marks “Undocumented Immigrant” on his tax return so his US born anchor-baby children manage to exploit the laws and collect welfare for themselves as their business is in an irrevocable trust therefore not legally tied to them and a separate entity under tax laws. 😉

  7. Benthihi says:

    Looks like they own Richway & Fuji Bio Inc. Their website says they sell tourmaline-embedded fabric in the form of a Quantum energy pad (registered trade mark), among other things. Their website states “*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Specific medical advice should be obtained from a licensed health care practitioner.” Caveat emptor.

  8. lowtone123 says:

    That’s how the rich stay rich.

  9. tod says:

    What’s the status on Albert Hee’s prison time? When will he go to jail?

  10. Pocho says:

    These Liberal Democrats tried to make their own rules not paying or cheating on taxes owed. Drain da Swamp!

  11. SueH says:

    I wonder if the Kims can get mandoo kook soo in prison??

  12. ready2go says:

    When is Trump going to make his tax returns public?

  13. Husky77 says:

    They should have used the Billy Kenoi defense and say they were going to eventually pay…

    • dragoninwater says:

      hahahaha, good one!

      Unfortunately, this was a federal case in federal court, not in Giligan’s Island Court with magistrate gullible Gilligan presiding himself! haaaaaaa

Leave a Reply