Suspect in multi-million US scam nabbed in Manila
June 11, 2003 | 12:00am
A naturalized American citizen was arrested yesterday by agents of the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime (PCTC) for his alleged involvement in a multi-million dollar scam in the US.
PCTC officials said Edmundo Pardo Rubi has a standing warrant in the US district court of California, issued on March 11 this year, for "conspiracy, mail fraud, conspiracy to launder money, false tax return and passport fraud under various sections of the United States Code."
Rubi, a Filipino who later became a US citizen, was caught at around 11:20 a.m. the other day in front of the Supreme Court along Taft Avenue in Manila.
A PCTC official said the US Secret Service informed Philippine authorities of the pending warrant for Rubi’s arrest.
"The information came from the US Secret Service. He was involved in a multi-million dollar scam. We cannot talk about it authoritatively because it was a violation of American laws," an official told The STAR.
The PCTC said the Philippine government’s role was only to serve the warrant. Rubi is considered an undocumented alien after the US Consul cancelled his passport on April 15 this year.
"Our role is to help him go back where he came from," the official said. Rubi has been monitored in the country since December.
Rubi, with handcuffs on, denied the charges against him when interviewed by reporters at the PCTC office.
Rubi’s case allegedly stems from several acts of fraud he committed in various states in the US. His victims were mostly Filipinos who became naturalized US citizens.
For more than five months prior to his arrest, Rubi was under continuous surveillance by joint elements of the PCTC, Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response, Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police Intelligence Group.
The California court has issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting Rubi from transferring all his assets, which are controlled by another defendant in the case, Knight Express.
He was also ordered to transfer to a receiver appointed by the court all his assets, funds and other property he received from his investors that have been transferred to other countries.
In violation of the order, Rubi transferred approximately $1 million from the Knight Express’ bank account in London to his personal accounts in the Philippines.
PCTC officials said Rubi’s accounts in several countries are now the subject of an investigation.
Rubi was turned over to US embassy officials yesterday to facilitate his deportation.
PCTC officials said Edmundo Pardo Rubi has a standing warrant in the US district court of California, issued on March 11 this year, for "conspiracy, mail fraud, conspiracy to launder money, false tax return and passport fraud under various sections of the United States Code."
Rubi, a Filipino who later became a US citizen, was caught at around 11:20 a.m. the other day in front of the Supreme Court along Taft Avenue in Manila.
A PCTC official said the US Secret Service informed Philippine authorities of the pending warrant for Rubi’s arrest.
"The information came from the US Secret Service. He was involved in a multi-million dollar scam. We cannot talk about it authoritatively because it was a violation of American laws," an official told The STAR.
The PCTC said the Philippine government’s role was only to serve the warrant. Rubi is considered an undocumented alien after the US Consul cancelled his passport on April 15 this year.
"Our role is to help him go back where he came from," the official said. Rubi has been monitored in the country since December.
Rubi, with handcuffs on, denied the charges against him when interviewed by reporters at the PCTC office.
Rubi’s case allegedly stems from several acts of fraud he committed in various states in the US. His victims were mostly Filipinos who became naturalized US citizens.
For more than five months prior to his arrest, Rubi was under continuous surveillance by joint elements of the PCTC, Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response, Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police Intelligence Group.
The California court has issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting Rubi from transferring all his assets, which are controlled by another defendant in the case, Knight Express.
He was also ordered to transfer to a receiver appointed by the court all his assets, funds and other property he received from his investors that have been transferred to other countries.
In violation of the order, Rubi transferred approximately $1 million from the Knight Express’ bank account in London to his personal accounts in the Philippines.
PCTC officials said Rubi’s accounts in several countries are now the subject of an investigation.
Rubi was turned over to US embassy officials yesterday to facilitate his deportation.
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