Two Filipino BPO executives, Michael Cris Traya Sordilla and Bryan Navales Tarosa, have been arrested and charged in the United States for defrauding over 800 elderly authors out of nearly $44 million.
Sordilla and Tarosa, who worked for Innocentrix, a BPO based in Cebu City, Philippines, were arrested in San Diego on December 9, 2024. The detention was confirmed after a federal court filed charges in late January.
A third suspect, Gemma Traya Austin, was arrested in Chula Vista, San Diego County, three days after Sordilla and Tarosa’s detention. Austin claimed to represent a publishing house called PageTurner.
According to court documents, the trio misled authors into believing their books were being considered for film or TV adaptations by major publishers and studios. Victims were coerced into paying upfront fees to proceed with these fictitious deals.
“What started with the promise of a Hollywood dream turned into a devastating nightmare for victims,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath in a statement.
The scheme operated for nearly seven years, from 2017 to 2024. If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison for each charge, along with substantial fines.
Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has reportedly seized the website of PageTurner.
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