Lingerie Store Owner Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud:
Jae Jun Bae, the owner of Moon Lingerie, has entered a guilty plea in federal court to wire fraud charges in connection with a plot to get a piece of property rezoned. Bae was originally indicted by a federal grand jury on five counts of wire fraud and one count of bribery in December of 2013. He pleaded guilty last Thursday to one count of honest services wire fraud according to United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates.
Bae was arrested by FBI agents on November 14, 2013 after he attempted to bribe a city official. Agents conducted an undercover sting and caught Bae agreeing to pay a member of Doraville’s Community Development Department $100,000 to have a piece of property on Buford Highway rezoned. Authorities say that Bae renegotiated the price to $70,000 and made at least two payments, totaling $8,000, on the bribe over the course of four weeks.
“Bae attempted to buy his way around certain zoning restrictions by offering bribes to Doraville employees,” Yates said. “But, we all play by the same rules. As expected, those employees reported Bae’s conduct and, as a result, Bae has been brought to justice.”
The wire fraud charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for June 30th at 10:00 a.m.
These charges were the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Doraville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey W. Davis and Special Assistant United States Attorney Erin Sanders prosecuted the case.
