LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Twin brothers from Southern California who worked as MRI technicians are accused of failing to report more than $1.1 million in income, including hundreds of thousands of dollars allegedly made running a lucrative golf tee-time brokering business as a side hustle.
Se Youn “Steve” Kim, 41, of Buena Park, and Hee Youn “Ted” Kim, 41, of Pomona, are charged in Los Angeles federal court with multiple federal tax charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Although working day jobs as medical imaging techs, prosecutors contend, the Kims operated a golf tee-time brokering business in which they reserved golf tee times online, including at public golf courses, and resold them to members of the public for a fee, frequently in violation of municipal regulations.
The brothers are suspected of having reserved thousands of tee times for resale at numerous golf courses nationwide, including at least 17 different public courses across Southern California.
By doing so, prosecutors say, the Kims 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.
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, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“It kind of stings a little that they’re getting got for taxes,” golf instructor Dave Fink said. “But that’s how America works in terms of justice. It’s exactly how Al Capone was taken down, even though he was a violent, terrible thug. I’m’ not saying these people did any violence but I still think of them as thugs.”
According to golfers, the odds of getting a tee time at a public golf course in Los Angels are about the same as getting a hole in one.
In total, the Kim brothers earned nearly $700,000 from their tee-time brokering business between 2021 and 2023, and failed to report a combined total of more than $1.1 million in income to the IRS for tax years 2022 and 2023, prosecutors contend.
The Kim brothers also allegedly accumulated substantial tax liabilities by failing to pay taxes assessed. Rather than using their available funds to pay off their outstanding tax balance, the Kims bought a timeshare in Hawaii, luxury vehicles and made high-end retail purchases from Chanel, Cartier, Louis Vuitton and Prada, the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleges.
“If they’re getting taken down on taxes, so be it,” Fink said. “Justice has been served one way or another.”
City News Service contributed to this report.
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