United States Attorney Dana J.

Boente
Eastern District of Virginia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 5, 2014
WWW.J USTICE.GOV/USAO/VAE/

CONTACT: PRESS OFFICER
(703) 842-4050
usavae.press@usdoj.gov
Fairfax Man Pleads to Creating and Selling Counterfeit Postage Stamps

ALEXANDRIA, Va. Brian Kim, 38, of Fairfax, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to
defrauding the U.S. Postal Service by counterfeiting and selling approximately $76,000 in
postage stamps at two packaging centers he owned and operated in northern Virginia.
Dana J . Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Gary Barksdale,
Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the
announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District J udge Claude M. Hilton.
Kim pleaded guilty to a criminal information containing one count of mail fraud. He
faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on November 7, 2014. Kim
also has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $76,000, representing the total amount of
illicit gains from the fraud.
In a statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Kim admitted that from J anuary to
October 2013, he counterfeited postal stamps that had been originally printed on a USPS-
authorized postage meter, and he then affixed those stamps to packages and letters that customers
brought to his packaging centers. Neither the customers who purchased the stamps nor the USPS
employees who picked up the packages were aware of Kims scheme.
Kims packaging centers were located in Fairfax and Arlington, Virginia. On one
representative day (Aug. 12, 2013), Kim caused the mailing of letters and packages bearing 80
counterfeit stamps, with a total value of $395.70. On Oct. 15, 2013, Postal Inspectors seized
approximately $23,974.59 worth of counterfeit stamps while executing search warrants at Kims
businesses.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Special Assistant U.S.
Attorney William E. J ohnston and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kosta S. Stojilkovic are prosecuting
the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorneys Office for
the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the
website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for
Case No. 1:14-cr-239.
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