Boston, Feb. 5, 2012—A Lynn man allegedly tried to absolve his three friends of their role in the theft of a Revere resident’s bumper, and found himself even deeper in trouble when Revere Police found almost $600 in counterfeit cash on him, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

PHALLEEN KIM (D.O.B. 8/13/90) of Lynn was arraigned Thursday in Chelsea District Court on charges of larceny over $250, possession of burglarious tools, malicious damage of a motor vehicle, and possession of counterfeit notes. Assistant District Attorney Thomas Ozbolt requested that Kim be held on $2,000 bail, that his bail on an open case out of Norfolk County be revoked, and that he be ordered to stay away from three co-defendants in the case. Judge Joseph Jennings revoked Kim’s open bail, ordered him held on $500 bail, and granted the stay away order.

Three others arrested with Kim – AHKEEM TUCKER, NELSON AGUILAR and LINDA CHOA – were charged with possession of burglarious tools, larceny over $250, and malicious destruction of a motor vehicle. Bail for Tucker and Aguilar was set at $500 and Choa was released on her own recognizance.

According to prosecutors, a Revere Police officer witnessed Kim crouching near a motor vehicle on Payson Street at about 1:30 a.m. before placing a long, curved item into the passenger’s side of a sport-utility vehicle. He and another suspect, later identified as Tucker, then jumped in the back seat as the SUV sped off. The officer pursued the vehicle and stopped it when it blew through a stop sign at the intersection of Payson and Beach streets, prosecutors said.

Police later determined that Aguilar was the SUV’s driver and Kim was in the front passenger’s seat. Tucker and Choa were in the back seat.

During the traffic stop, police spotted on the floor of the SUV a plastic bumper stolen from the car Kim was seen crouching near, prosecutors said.

Tucker allegedly implored the officer – whom he knew from previous encounters – not to arrest him because he might face state prison time. At that point, Kim spoke up.

“It was me,” he allegedly told the officer. “I’ll take the rap. Let them go.”

In addition to the bumper – which was later matched to the car on Payson Street – police found three PlayStation 3 game systems, a baseball bat, and a police baton. In the seat where Kim had been sitting, officers recovered $580 in counterfeit $10 and $20 bills.

All four defendants will return to court for a probable cause hearing on Feb. 28.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.