SIM HYON-SOP

Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud; Conspiracy to Violate and Violations of International Emergency Economic Powers Act; North Korean Sanctions Regulations; Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments; Laundering Monetary Instruments

Images

Photograph taken December 2019

Aliases:

Ali Sim, Sim Hajim

Description

Date(s) of Birth Used November 25, 1983, November 25, 1972
Place of Birth Pyongyang, North Korea
Hair Black
Eyes Brown
Sex Male
Race Asian
Occupation Foreign Trade Bank Representative
Nationality North Korean
Languages Korean, English, Chinese

Reward:

The United States Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Sim Hyon-Sop.

Remarks:

Sim Hyon-Sop has ties to or may visit North Korea, China, and the United Arab Emirates.

Caution:

Sim Hyon-Sop is a North Korean national who works for the Foreign Trade Bank (FTB) of North Korea, which has been sanctioned by the United States. It is alleged that Sim helped transact with customers that traded with North Korea and ensured money could move in and out of North Korea without interruption, despite U.S. sanctions. For roughly a decade, Sim allegedly played a pivotal role in defrauding U.S. banks by remitting U.S. dollar payments to facilitate trade on behalf of North Korea.

 

On March 21, 2023, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Sim Hyon-Sop in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Washington, D.C., after he was charged with Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, Conspiracy to Violate and Violations of International Emergency Economic Powers Act, North Korean Sanctions Regulations, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments, and Laundering Monetary Instruments.

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Field Office: Phoenix

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