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U.S. NEWS Thursday 30 January 2020

Arrests at LA church allege marriage, immigration fraud

By BRIAN MELLEY The church claims a mem- middle of last year, $20 mil- 41, who allegedly handled mented 82 sham marriages
Associated Press bership of 6 million people lion was sent back to the fraudulent immigration over a 20-year period be-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fed- and backed the 2016 can- church in the Philippines, documents, prosecutors tween top fundraisers and
eral agents raided a Phil- church members who were
ippines-based church in U.S. citizens.
Los Angeles Wednesday in In addition to raiding the
a human trafficking inves- church's Van Nuys com-
tigation that led to arrests pound, agents were con-
of three church leaders in ducting searches at other
what prosecutors said was Los Angeles-area locations
a decades-long scheme to and at two places in Ha-
trick followers into becom- waii linked to the church.
ing fundraisers and arrange Two years ago, a leader
sham marriages to keep of a Hawaii branch of the
them in the U.S. church was arrested smug-
The local leader of the gling cash onto a private
Kingdom of Jesus Christ plane in Honolulu bound
church was arrested on for the Philippines with Qui-
immigration fraud charges boloy on board, according
in the early morning bust to court records.
along with a worker who Investigators said Felina
confiscated passports of Salinas declared she was
the victims of the scheme carrying $40,000. But inves-
and another who handled tigators said they discov-
finances, the U.S. attorney's ered $335,000 and $9,000 in
office said. Australian currency stuffed
Workers who managed to in socks in her carry-on suit-
escape from the church case, according to docu-
told the FBI that they had ments filed in U.S. District
been sent across the U.S. Court in Honolulu. U.S. law
to work long hours solicit- requires that travelers de-
ing donations year-round clare currency in excess of
for the church's charity and $10,000.
were beaten and psycho- Prosecutors said a witness
logically abused if they saw Salinas and Quiboloy
didn't make daily quotas, A smashed in door is seen at the entrance of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ Church in the Van Nuys order church members to
according to an affida- section of Los Angeles on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. smuggle hundreds of thou-
vit filed in support of the Associated Press sands of dollars in black
charges. Some described socks packed in suitcases
having to live in cars at from California to the Philip-
truck stops. didacy of President Rodrigo the FBI said. "Most of these said. Amanda Estopare, pines in 2013 and 2014.
The immigrants essentially Duterte, a close friend of funds appear to derive 48, who allegedly enforced A defense lawyer ques-
became full-time workers, Quiboloy. Duterte has used from street-level solicita- fundraising quotas, was ar- tioned the credibility of the
sometimes referred to as the group's radio and TV tion," according to the af- rested in Virginia. witness in the Hawaii case.
"miracle workers," in a cru- program in southern Davao fidavit by FBI Special Agent Cabactulan and Duenas "I have a woman who says
sade to raise money for city to express his views on Anne Wetzel. "Little to no are expected to make ini- she saw $100,000 go from
the nonprofit Children's Joy issues way back when he money solicited appears to tial court appearances California to the Philippines,
Foundation USA, which was was mayor of the southern benefit impoverished or in- Thursday in U.S. District then she said it was two or
supposed to benefit poor port city. need children." Court in Santa Ana, said three million," attorney Mi-
children in their homeland. Quiboloy claims to be "the Calls to the church for Thom Mrozek, a spokesman chael Green said, accord-
But the complaint said most appointed son of God" comment were not imme- for the U.S. attorney in Los ing to Hawaii News Now.
of the money raised was and in October last year diately answered. Angeles. Estopare was or- "She says it was put in socks.
used to finance church claimed he stopped a ma- Guia Cabactulan, 59, the dered held after a hearing They must have parishio-
operations and the lavish jor earthquake from hitting top church official in the in Norfolk, Virginia, and ex- ners with size 18 feet be-
lifestyle of church leader the southern Philippines. U.S., was arrested in Van pected back in court Mon- cause the socks must have
Apollo Quiboloy. Between 2014 and the Nuys with Marissa Duenas, day. Investigators docu- been really big."q