POMONA, CA — Two brothers face tax evasion charges after being accused of failing to report millions made from a side-hustle involving reselling tee times at golf courses, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.
Twins Hee Youn “Ted” Kim, 41, of Pomona and Se Youn “Steve” Kim, 41, of Buena Park face two counts of tax evasion and multiple counts of willful failure to pax tax.. Se Youn Kim has also be charged with one county of making and subscribing to a false tax document, federal authorities said.
Federal prosecutors say the brothers ran a golf tee time brokering business between 2021 and 2023. Through that business, they’d reserve tee times at public golf courses across the country, before reselling them for a profit, authorities said.
“The brothers created a monopoly of Los Angeles and Orange County area golf course tee times by securing the most sought-after early morning slots, often within seconds of their release to the public,” the United States Attorney’s Office said in a statement Friday. “As a result, the brothers made it more difficult and more expensive for members of the public to reserve tee times at these courses without paying them an additional booking fee.”
The brothers made nearly $700,000 through the scheme, according to federal prosecutors. Combined with taxes they failed to pay from their jobs as MRI technicians, the twins owed the IRS $1.1 million for tax years 2022 and 2023, authorities said.
Instead of paying those taxes, the brothers spend their money on a timeshare in Hawaii, buying luxury vehicles and items from brands such as Chanel, Cartier and Louis Vuitton, according to federal authorities.
The two were arrested Thursday and made their first court appearance in the afternoon, pleading not guilty to the charges, authorities said. They’ve since been released on $20,000 bond.
Federal authorities say Hee Youn “Ted” Kim faces a maximum of six years in federal prison if convicted of the charges while Se Youn “Steve” Kim faces nine years.
