A customs broker from Corona has admitted to defrauding clients of over $5 million and evading more than $1 million in taxes. Frank Seung Noah, 64, pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion and two counts of wire fraud.
Noah owned Comis International Inc., a logistics company based in Cerritos. From 2007 to 2019, the company acted as a customs import broker for Daiso, a Japanese variety store chain with locations in the United States. During this period, Noah provided false customs duty forms and invoices to Daiso, leading to an overpayment of nearly $3.4 million.
Even after being indicted for defrauding Daiso in 2022, Noah continued his fraudulent activities with other clients, amassing more than $2 million through a separate scheme. He invoiced these companies for customs duties but pocketed the funds instead of paying them to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). When confronted by clients about unpaid duties, he presented falsified bank statements indicating payment had been made.
Noah also avoided paying federal taxes resulting in a loss of approximately $2.4 million to the IRS. Despite agreeing that he owed over $1 million in taxes in 2014, he took steps to evade collection efforts by the IRS. These included making purchases under another person's name and using check cashing services to circumvent account levies.
United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton has scheduled sentencing for May 8. Noah faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud charge and up to five years for tax evasion.
The investigation was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Assistant United States Attorneys Nandor F.R. Kiss and Robert J. Keenan are prosecuting the case.