6 Filipinos face criminal charges in federal court • Raps filed in connection with allegations of bringing in fake dollar bills

Six Filipinos who stand trial on allegations of counterfeiting US currency before the Superior Court was indicted yesterday by the federal grand jury with one count of uttering counterfeit obligations and securities before the US District Court.

The six Filipinos, who all claim to have fallen prey to an illegal recruiter in Manila, each face a 15-year jail term and a $250,000 fine at the maximum if found guilty.

The defendants are expected to appear before US District Court Judge Alex R. Munson for an initial hearing scheduled at 1:30pm today.

Agents from the US Secret Service, in partnership with authorities from the CNMI Department of Public Safety, and of Labor and Immigration, are continuously digging deeper into the case.

Up until this point, however, the defendants are merely facing accusations and are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty, according to a statement issued by the US Attorney.

The charges were filed before the US Court against the six Filipinos more than a month after their arrest at the Saipan International Airport Jan. 24 for allegedly presenting fake $100 bills to CNMI immigration officers.

Previous reports claimed the six defendants were in possession of $5,000 worth of counterfeit dollar bills when they arrived from Manila.

All are facing charges of illegally possessing the counterfeit currency and bringing the counterfeit bills into the United States with the intent to defraud before the CNMI Superior Court.

Superior Court Associate Judge Timothy H. Bellas originally declared there was probable cause try the seven Filipino illegal recruitment victims for allegedly counterfeiting $5,000 worth of 100-dollar bills discovered in their possession.

However, Judge Bellas dropped the charges against one of them — Bobby C. Valdez — noting that there was no probable cause found to charge him with conspiracy to commit counterfeit.

Authorities did not find fake dollar bills on Mr. Valdez’s possession when he arrived from Manila to Saipan last Jan. 24.

His six companions had been released 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.

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 for the exchange deal.

The promised jobs turned out to be a hoax and the recruiter –apparently illegal.

Charged before the local and the federal courts 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.