Couple with 30 warrants for estafa nabbed in NegOr

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

 

BACOLOD City – The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Negros Oriental and Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (Norppo) on Tuesday served 30 arrest warrants for estafa against a couple for an alleged multimillion-peso scam in Nueva Vizcaya.

CIDG operatives and local police officers served 19 warrants against Christopher Morales, 45, of Valencia town; and 11 warrants against his partner Jennifer Imbat, 36, of Nueva Vizcaya.

All arrest warrants were issued by Judge Francisco Pilpil of the 2nd Municipal Trial Court in Nueva Vizcaya.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Huesca, CIDG-Negros Oriental head, said both suspects were already in police custody after they were arrested in Valencia town in August 2020 by virtue of an arrest warrant for estafa with no bail.

The CIDG and Norppo were able to acquire copies of the warrants after coordinating with several victims and different courts.

Huesca said the couple reportedly rented a house in the province to hide, after they victimized several individuals in the country, mostly in Region 2.

Huesca said Morales introduced himself as a doctor, but they later found out that he was not a medical doctor but into alternative medicine.

He said they are arranging the schedule of transport of the couple to Nueva Vizcaya.

He said the couple has started returning the invested funds of their new investors following their arrest.

Authorities are still coordinating with other individuals all over the country who claimed to be victims of the couple in their scam.

In August this year, a couple tagged in a multi-million online scam was also arrested for syndicated estafa in Sta. Catalina town.