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Court drops case vs 7th man in fake dollar scam
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Posted on Feb 02 2001
Superior Court Associate Judge Timothy H. Bellas yesterday dropped counterfeiting charges against Bobby C. Valdez, the 7th illegal recruitment victim who, along with six other Filipinos, were arrested for possession of fake dollars.
No probable cause was found to charge Mr. Valdez for conspiracy to commit counterfeit as the court learned yesterday that he did not carry fake greenback with him when he arrived at the Saipan International Airport last Jan. 24, 2001.
Mr. Valdez hails from Pangasinan, Philippines who hoped of landing a good job on Saipan before immigration and police officers earlier arrested him and his companions.
Meanwhile, the six other Filipinos involved in the case were released late yesterday to the custody of the Philippine Consulate and two church leaders after posting a $9,500-unsecured bail.
The court also set a cash bail of $500 each, as part of the condition for the defendants’ temporary release. An arraignment has been scheduled for Monday, Feb. 5.
The group faces charges of counterfeiting $5,000 worth of 100-dollar bills that were discovered in their possession last week when they arrived on Saipan aboard Asiana Airlines Flight 252, which transited in Seoul, Korea from Manila.
Traveling to the island as tourists, the group revealed they were promised by their recruiter jobs in the Commonwealth as part of a job recruitment deal that cost them as much as $1,000 to $1,500.
The promised jobs turned out to be a hoax and the recruiter –apparently illegal.
Facing counterfeiting charges before the local court are Rolando Hilongo Lambio, Nelia Baradi Florendo, Archie Barnatcha Macapagal, Ronalia De Guzman Navarro, Romeo Gumin Montoya, and Thelma Loqueno Tejano.
Most of the suspects had to sell their livelihoods back in the Philippines to come up with the money they paid to the job recruitment agency.
