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A $48 million fraud scheme that preyed on authors’ dreams of literary and Hollywood success has ended in a guilty plea in a federal courthouse in San Diego. A 34-year-old man admitted Thursday that he helped orchestrate a nationwide scam that authorities say left more than 800 victims out of millions of dollars.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release that Michael Cris Traya Sordilla is one of four defendants accused of running a fraudulent scheme that targeted authors, most of whom were seniors, with major publishing and Hollywood film deals in exchange for millions of dollars.

A GLOBAL SCHEME BUILT ON FALSE PROMISES

According to the plea agreement, Sordilla, a citizen of the Philippines, was the founder and CEO of Innocentrix Philippines, which claimed to be a business outsourcing company in the Philippines.

From 2017 until 2024, Sordilla and others registered fake businesses in the U.S. that they used to sell “false hopes of tremendous professional success to writers in the United States,” according to the news release.

The fake businesses operated under the names PageTurner Press and Media LLC, which claimed to be a book publishing business in Chula Vista, Calif., as well as Metro Films LLC and WP Lighthouse LL.

Metro Films claimed to be a film and sound recording business in Los Angeles, Calif., and WP Lighthouse was a supposed book publishing business in Indianapolis, Ind.

HOW THE SCAM REACHED VICTIMS

Sordilla would then use Innocentric Philippines to manage a call center in the Philippines where scammers called dozens of victims in the U.S. pretending to be literary agents from the fake companies, according to officials.

Victims were then convinced that their works had been selected by publishers or movie studios and were asked to send payments so their work could be published or presented to studios.

Prosectors said the scammers also impersonated literary agents and executives from major publishers, motion picture studios and popular video games companies when in reality they had no connection to publishers or entertainment companies.

Bank accounts registered to the fake companies were then set up in the U.S. and used to transfer the stolen money to Sordilla and co-conspirators in the Philippines, according to the plea agreement.

The swindlers laundered at least $42 million, taken from more than 800 victims, with Sordilla receiving more than $2.7 million.

‘THEY STOLE DREAMS’

“The defendants didn’t just steal money — they stole dreams, leaving victims with empty promises and devastating losses,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon in the news release. “Today’s guilty plea delivers justice for victims and serves as a warning that legitimate publishers and filmmakers do not demand upfront fees.”

WHAT COMES NEXT IN THE CASE

As part of his plea, Sordilla agreed to forfeit the more than $2.7 million that he pocketed as well as reparation of at least $48,719,156.38 to the victims.

Officials said three of the four defendants charged in the case are currently awaiting trial. Sordilla’s sentencing is scheduled for July 24.