The families and friends of two Cebuanos detained in the US have appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to help them return to the Philippines. According to Atty. Oliver Baclay Jr., lawyer for the accused, Mike Sordilla, CEO of Innocentrix, and Bryan Tarosa, vice president of the company, were arrested in December 2024 for their alleged involvement in a $44 million publishing scam.
Baclay stated that the allegations against his client are baseless. The charges filed against them in the US involve conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy for allegedly operating a book publishing scam that lasted 7 years. According to the lawyer, they have already identified names as agents of the unauthorized transaction, but there are two main people behind it.
Baclay also stressed that Innocentrix has strict anti-fraud policies. However, these were not properly implemented due to the COVID-19 lockdown, where employees are working from home. He strongly denied the allegations, calling them "false and exaggerated."
