BI agents nab wanted American sex offender in Bohol

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced on Wednesday the arrest of a convicted American sex offender wanted by US federal authorities.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente identified the fugitive as Michael Dennis Hartsock, 71, who was arrested by operatives from the Bureau’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) on April 14 at Brgy. Ubojan, Loon, Bohol City.

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Morente shared that he initially issued a mission order following the request of the US authorities to assist in locating and apprehending the sex offender.

FSU Head Bobby Raquepo disclosed that the operations were conducted in coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Bohol.

“Hartsock is the subject of a 10-year old Warrant of Arrest issued by the San Joaquin County Superior Criminal Court in California,” Raquepo added. According to records, Hartsock is wanted for 6 counts of Sexual Contact with Minor.

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Morente further shared that Hartsock is an undocumented alien, as his passport has already expired in 2017.

“The fugitive is an undocumented and overstaying alien who poses risk to the security and safety of the public, especially of Filipino children,” Morente said. “We will deport him and put him on the BI’s blacklist to prevent him from re-entering the country,” he added.

BI agents nab wanted American sex offender in Bohol

The sex offender is temporarily detained at the NBI’s headquarters in Bohol pending transfer to the BI’s detention center in Bicutan, Taguig.

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Meanwhile, BI also reported the arrest of three of South Korea’s most wanted fugitives who were tagged as leaders of a big-time syndicate that operated an online scam that victimized thousands of their compatriots.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the three aliens were arrested on Tuesday in operations conducted in Parañaque City and Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija by operatives from the BI’s fugitive search unit (FSU) in coordination with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Major Crimes Investigation Unit (CIDG-MCIU).

They were identified as Jung Myunghun, 38, allegedly the syndicate’s top leader; Yu Daewoong, 38, and Kang Wesung, 36, also a leaders of the group.

Morente described the three Koreans as high profile fugitives long sought by Korean authorities and by the Interpol.

According to BI FSU Chief Bobby Raquepo, Korean authorities sought the assistance of BI in locating and arresting the trio.

Source: Bureau of Immigration, Republic of the Philippines