Bergen County Man Charged With Illegally Obtaining Naturalization

NEWARK, N.J. – A River Edge, New Jersey, man was arrested today for allegedly concealing prior criminal activity involving sexual intercourse with a child on his naturalization application, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Kyung Lim Park, a/k/a “Howard Kyung Lim Park,” 65, was arrested today and charged with knowingly procuring his own naturalization contrary to law by providing false information and concealing material facts. Park appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk and was released on $150,000 bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Oct. 13, 2011, Park, who lawfully entered the United States from South Korea in March 1998, completed a naturalization application to obtain U.S. Citizenship. Park was required to truthfully answer a question asking if he had ever committed a crime or offense for which he was not arrested. However, Park did not disclose that he had engaged in sexual intercourse with a child between December 2002 and April 2003.
After he received his citizenship, Park pleaded guilty in March 2016 in New Jersey Superior Court, Bergen County, to child endangerment and sexual conduct by a non-caretaker. During his plea hearing, Park admitted engaging in sexual intercourse with a child on at least three occasions between December 2002 and April 2003. He was later sentenced in October 2016 to five years’ probation, including community service for life and a requirement to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law.
If convicted of the charge in today’s complaint, Park faces a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and the possibility of losing his naturalization.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Moscato, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office National Security Unit in Newark.