According to the FBI, the alleged scam has been active since 2017 and involved “knowingly and intentionally conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud,” with an additional count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has charged Filipino businessman and Innocentrix Chief Executive Officer Michael Cris Traya Sordilla, for allegedly running a ₱2.56 billion ($44 million) book publishing scam targeting aspiring authors.
Court documents, which unsealed on December 10, 2024 and filed in the U.S. Federal Court of California—where PageTurner Press and Media is registered—detail how the scheme operated,and named Innocentrix Vice President of Operations Bryan Navales Tarosa as another defendant.
Both Sordilla and Tarosa were arrested in California on December 9, while American agent Gemma Traya Austin, was apprehended the following day.
PageTurner Press and Media’s official website has since been taken offline.
According to the FBI, the alleged scam has been active since 2017 and involved “knowingly and intentionally conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud,” with an additional count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Aspiring writers were lured with promises of lucrative book deals, marketing campaigns, and connections with major publishers in exchange for upfront fees ranging from ₱291,080 ($5,000) to over ₱1.16 million ($20,000), the agency added.
However, the promised services were seldom delivered, leaving victims with minimal returns on their investments. Funds collected through the scam were allegedly diverted to luxury expenses and other ventures linked to Sordilla, including a property in Chula Vista, California.
Evidence presented includes internal communications and contracts that misrepresented the company’s services. Victims reported receiving substandard work, deceptive updates, and limited transparency, while many aspiring authors have spoke out about the emotional and financial toll of the scam.
Writers’ rights advocate The Authors Guild has flagged PageTurner Press and Media as one of several exploitative companies.
Coverage from outlets such as BoingBoing and Writer Beware has further amplified awareness of the case.
Sordilla is also the founder and CEO of Innocentrix Philippines, an IT company based in Mandaue City, Cebu. He established the MCS Group of Companies, which oversees ventures such as construction firm MSordilla Builders; MCS Studio, a music production and photography lab, and the Serene Oasis Resort, a seaside property in Oslob.
He also serves as the chairman of the Hiyas ng Pilipinas pageant, an annual national competition that crowned its first winner in 2022.
