Foreigner conman nabbed in Pasay

MANILA -- A foreign national using various identities and sought investors to cough up USD150,000 in exchange for what he claimed was a larger sum in his luggage held by a cargo firm has been arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) International Airport Division.

NBI officials on Thursday presented the suspect who identified himself as Justine Barlee, Jerry Rockstone and Jerry Brown and claimed at one point to be an American, a Liberian and a Jamaican national.

The man, who was arrested on Tuesday, also claimed to be American serviceman and presented

a US Marine Corps and an American Passport No. 4877311994 to NBI agents.

Upon verification with the US Embassy, the NBI said the passport had been declared lost in 2013 and was not issued to a “Jerry Brown”.

The Embassy also said the man is not a member of the US Armed Forces.

During the entrapment operation in Pasay, the man also yielded documents and receipts of a luggage he claims as containing money at the Global Cargo brokerage firm.

The NBI concluded the man’s modus was to convince unwitting lenders to give him money supposedly to get his luggage containing a large amount.

He was subsequently charged before the Pasay prosecutor for usurpation of authority or official functions and for using fictitious names and concealing his true names.

The suspect remains in NBI custody pending verification of his real identity with the Bureau of Immigration and consulates of the countries where he claims to be a national.