In November 2023, Hyoung Nam So, a 48-year-old former manager at General Motors, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. He is facing a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for soliciting and receiving a $5 million bribe from a South Korean company in return for promising to deliver a more than $100 million contract to them for various car parts.

Bribing a Foreign Parts Supplier

Mr. So was the manager and team leader at General Motors at the time of the crime and oversaw the supply of parts used to build the interior of automobiles in North America. According to the prosecution's evidence, So promised a contract to the owner of a South Korean parts company called Wookyung MIT in exchange for $5 million in cash. The contract was supposed to be awarded through a competitive bidding process.

The owner of Wookyung MIT flew to Detroit in November 2015 and delivered $1 million in cash to So. After receiving the initial installment bribe, So discovered that Wookyung MIT was not the lowest bidder for the contract and decided to give them information that would allow them to revise their bid. After the big had been revised, So told General Motors executives to award the contract to Wookyung MIT. However, So did not tell Wookyung MIT they had won the contract until they paid him an additional $2.45 million in cash.

How an Experienced Criminal Attorney Can Help

Bribery is usually defined as an act of offering some type of compensation to influence the actions of another person. For conspiracy to commit bribery to stick, the prosecution must prove:

1.     There was an agreement to pay a bribe

2.     There was an intent to pay a bribe, and

3.     There was an overt act toward paying a bribe.

If you or someone you know has been accused of conspiracy to commit bribery, Attorney Vitaly Sigal of Sigal Law Group will review the case and determine the best course of action for your defense. Call 818-325-0570 today or schedule a free consultation online.