INGLEWOOD : Ex-Janitor for City Gets 5 Years for Check Forgeries

A Glendale man who provided janitorial services for the Inglewood City Hall was sentenced to five years in prison for paying himself $2.3 million by forging blank city checks.

Seung Chul Chang, 32, also known as Danny Chang, must also pay $1.3 million in restitution to Inglewood, as well as $118,000 to the Las Vegas Hilton to cover bogus checks used to pay his gambling debts. The $1.3 million is what Chang actually owes the city because not all the bogus checks were negotiated, and some money has already been returned through the sale of his assets, said Assistant U.S. Atty. Jody Tabner Thayer.

In sentencing Chang, U.S. District Judge Laughlin E. Waters said that it was time for him to accept responsibility for his actions. Chang “has had his golden moments,” the judge said. “He’s flown high, and he did it with other people’s money.” Choking back tears, Chang pleaded for leniency. “I’m embarrassed and ashamed by my behavior,” he said. “I ask for one more chance to straighten out my life. I promise I will repay every single penny.”