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 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.
Governor appoints new state comptroller
Gov. David Ige on Friday appointed his deputy finance director to the position of state comptroller, a position that has a second hat as director of the Department of Accounting and General Services.
Roderick Becker will replace Douglas Murdock, who stepped down Friday as comptroller and DAGS director.
Becker has served as deputy director of the Department of Budget and Finance since December 2014. Before that he was budget chief for the state Senate.
Becker is a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science.
“Rod has been a valuable member of our Budget and Finance team, and I am confident that he will use his expertise and experience to continue building on the good work started by Doug Murdock,” Ige said in a statement.
DAGS has recently undertaken several initiatives to upgrade state systems and information technology infrastructure, including payroll modernization. These initiatives will continue under Becker’s leadership, the state said in a news release.
“I appreciate the governor’s consideration of me to be the director of DAGS,” Becker said. “I look forward to continuing to support the governor and his administration in this new role.”
Murdock served four years with the state and 26 years in the Air Force and is stepping down to pursue other interests, the state said.
“Doug has been an important member of our team and helped lead efforts to increase efficiency, reduce waste and improve accountability in state government,” Ige said.
Becker assumes his new role today.
HAWAII ISLAND
NASA scientists prepare for Mars on lava terrain
HILO >> A team of scientists is wrapping up a few weeks of fieldwork in Hawaii, where they spent time in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park to prepare for an eventual manned mission to Mars.
Ten students at the University of Hawaii at Hilo volunteered to help with NASA’s ongoing Biological Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains, or BASALT, project, reported the Hawaii Trib-une-Herald. They accompanied researchers on hikes around Mauna Ulu, sometimes simply tagging along to hand out bags or carry lunches — but the students said the experience was invaluable.
“My favorite part was just being out there,” said Kyla Defore, a 28-year-old senior studying geology. “I’m learning so much from these scientists and learning the importance of things (such as) how these organisms are growing even without much sunlight, (and) just watching these geologists go out there and being careful not to contaminate anything.”
The researchers were trying to avoid contamination because they were developing protocols for collecting rock samples that could be used on a real mission to Mars. Such a mission would include identifying and protecting samples that could host life.
Mauna Ulu is covered with a thin, crumbly lava rock known as shelly pahoehoe. It’s thought to be similar to the mostly basalt terrain of Mars.
“You have to be prepared,” said Michael Bailey, another UH-Hilo student volunteering with BASALT as an instrument lead. “You can’t just pack up and take a ship to Mars and think everything is going to run smoothly. You have to have a game plan to know what you’re getting into. So it’s vital to do studies like this in a controlled environment.”