The Associated Press reports that John Kim son of Kim Un-yong, a powerful South Korean member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), was arrested Sunday in Bulgaria on a warrant from Interpol, and faces extradition to the United States.
Kim was one of three minor players indicted in the Salt Lake City bribery scandal. He was accused of lying to FBI investigators and 16 counts of using a fraudulently obtained green card after being hired by Utah telecommunications executive David Simmons for a “sham” job. Simmons who pleaded guilty to tax fraud in August 1999, testified that the “sham” job was arranged by Salt Lake’s Olympic bid leaders.
Kim, who was living in New York at the time, fled to South Korea before his September 1999 indictment and never returned. He is being held by Bulgaria for likely extradition to the United States for prosecution, FBI special agent Eugene Casey told the Associated Press.
Kim’s father was reprimanded by the IOC in 2000 for his involvement in the bribery scandal.
