A former General Motors manager has been charged with conspiracy to commit bribery after allegedly taking $3.4 million from an international parts supplier to help him get a job.
Hyoung Nam So, who goes by the name Brian So, worked for General Motors as a global purchasing and supply chain manager. He was in charge of parts used to build the interiors of North American cars and trucks.
It says that in October 2015, So agreed to a deal with the owner of a South Korean parts company for $5 million. This is what an indictment said: The owner of the company met So at a hotel near Detroit and gave him $1 million personally, the indictment said.
Following the payment, So learned that the company was no longer the best deal. On December 8, 2015, So still nominated the company, and the same day, it was given the job.
It says that So didn’t tell the supplier about his contract until after he got $2.45 million more in cash.
That’s what his online resume said. He left GM the next month, so.
Corruption or bribery of any kind isn’t OK with General Motors, the company said in a statement. “The illegal behaviour that is said to have happened here is completely against our code of conduct and company rules.”
The company said it was willing to help with the investigation.
So’s lawyer, H. Dean Steward, didn’t say anything to the Los Angeles Times, which ran the story last week.
The Homeland Security Investigations’ Los Angeles El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force did a lot of work on this case. In Los Altos, Calif., the task force took $3.19 million from a private vault, which is thought to be money from the bribe that was given.
So, he could be sent to prison for up to five years.