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Judge scolds Bolingbrook man for selling fake Blackhawks tickets

A Bolingbrook man who admitted to forging Chicago Blackhawks tickets avoided prison time on Monday.

But Edgar I. Kim didn't leave the DuPage County courtroom without getting an earful from a judge who apparently is an avid Hawks fan.

Kim, of the 800 block of Tamms Lane, was facing six counts of forgery after he was accused of selling phony tickets for regular-season Blackhawks games to three unsuspecting fans. But in a deal with prosecutors, Kim pleaded guilty to one felony count of forgery in exchange for the other charges being dropped.

As part of the plea deal, Kim was given two years of probation, ordered to spend 20 days in the sheriff's work alternative program and ordered to pay a total of $1,010 in restitution to the three victims.

Judge John Kinsella said he also wants Kim to write apology letters to the victims.

“I hope you feel some sense of shame,” Kinsella said to Kim.

“It was a shameful act.”

Kinsella said he personally has spent a lot of money to attend Blackhawks games. He said he would be very upset if someone had sold him fake tickets.

In the forgery case in which he pleaded guilty, Kim connected with the victim through Craigslist, according to prosecutors. The victim agreed to pay $250 for one ticket for the Dec. 27, 2013, game.

Kim and the victim then met a day before the game at a business in an unincorporated portion of DuPage County.

It wasn't until the victim went to the game at the United Center that he learned the ticket wasn't legitimate.

Kinsella said the victim had to drive to Chicago on a cold day, and spent $40 to park just to get turned away.

The judge told Kim to think about what that and the other victims went through as a result of his “outright fraud.”

Kinsella told Kim he couldn't have expected to get away with the crime. Kim was taken into custody on May 16, 2014. He was released from jail after posting $1,000 bail.

“This is a pretty desperate act,” Kinsella said.

“Examine what's going on in your life.”

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