Home » Michael Cris Traya Sordilla Arrested in U.S. Publishing Scam

Michael Cris Traya Sordilla Arrested in U.S. Publishing Scam

CEO and Beauty Pageant Chairperson Linked to $44M Fraud

by Sophia Bennett

MANILA, Philippines — Michael Cris Traya Sordilla, the chairman of the prestigious Hiyas ng Pilipinas beauty pageant and CEO of Cebu-based BPO company Innocentrix Philippines, was arrested in December 2024 for his involvement in an alleged multi-million-dollar publishing scam targeting elderly authors in the United States.

Sordilla, alongside his business partner and Innocentrix vice president of operations, Bryan Navales Tarosa, was apprehended in San Diego on December 9, 2024. A third individual, Gemma Traya Austin, founder of PageTurner Press and Media LLC, was arrested three days later in Chula Vista, California.

The trio is accused of orchestrating a scheme that defrauded over 800 elderly victims out of $44 million. U.S. prosecutors claim they misled authors into believing their books were under consideration by major publishers or Hollywood studios, demanding upfront payments for services like taxes and transaction fees.

This fraudulent activity reportedly began in 2017, when employees of Innocentrix Philippines began contacting authors through unsolicited emails and calls, falsely presenting themselves as representatives of PageTurner. They promised the authors that their books would be adapted into films or TV series, pushing them to pay for non-existent services.

“This scam exploited the dreams of aspiring authors and turned them into a nightmare,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Victims should remain vigilant and report any such schemes to the FBI.”

In the investigation, which involved the FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service, authorities seized the PageTurner website and uncovered the full extent of the operation. Sordilla, Tarosa, and Austin now face charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as money laundering, each carrying up to 20 years in prison.

Authorities urge victims, especially those aged 60 and older, to come forward and report similar incidents to federal authorities.

Despite the charges, neither Innocentrix Philippines nor the Hiyas ng Pilipinas pageant have issued any statements on the matter. The Hiyas ng Pilipinas pageant, which celebrates Filipino beauty and culture, is based in Mandaue City, Cebu, and features participants from across the country.

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