San Francisco restaurant owners charged with offering bribes to acquire leases on Pompei’s Grotto, Lou’s Fish Shack properties

SAN FRANCISCO — The owners of a seafood restaurant that sits along Pier 45 have been charged with paying $19,000 in bribes to a Port of San Francisco official and an FBI employee posting as one as part of a scheme to acquire leases on lucrative Fisherman’s Wharf restaurant properties, court records show.

Min Ki Paik, aka James Paik, 63, and his wife, Hye Paik, 60, have both been charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and bribing an employee of an agency that receives federal funds, charges that carry up to five years and 10 years in prison, respectively. Both remain out of custody on $50,000 bonds secured at their initial court appearances on Tuesday, records show.

The Paiks are charged with paying cash bribes on four separate occasions from September to October, during their bid to acquire the vacant properties that once housed Pompei’s Grotto and Lou’s Fish Shack, two popular restaurants that announced they were closing last July. They own Nick’s Lighthouse on Taylor Street in San Francisco, and Min Ki Paik allegedly bragged to a port employee that he and his wife own dozens of businesses in the Bay Area, some of which have been placed in the names of his relatives.

The FBI investigation into the Paiks started last May, when a port official came forward alleging Min Ki Paik offered to pay thousands for help securing leases on several restaurant properties. The criminal complaint also alleges that Paik offered a $5,000 bribe to an unnamed realtor who allegedly emailed him back, “James, That is illegal and I will not take part in that.”

Paik allegedly paid the port employee envelopes containing $3,000 in cash on three occasions. As their relationship progressed, the employee introduced Paik to an undercover FBI employee posing as the port official’s co-worker. During one meeting the two allegedly told Paik to save $240,000 over a 10-year period by offering bids on both restaurants that were $2,000 less than the market value and that they were “fast tracking” his lease application, according to the complaint.

Later in that meeting, Hye Paik allegedly paid both the port official and the undercover FBI employee $5,000 in cash, and Min Ki Paik allegedly followed that up with a Nov. 2 text promising more money was on the way once the lease was approved in June 2024.

“Starting 6/1 We will give 10 +5=15. Thanks,” Paik allegedly texted the port employee.

The Paiks’ next court date has been set for Jan. 3.