4 arrested for selling fake land titles

A couple and two other persons, notorious for swindling businessmen nationwide by selling fake land titles, were finally arrested and charged with estafa yesterday in Valenzuela City.

Virgilio Chico, 49, his wife Teresita, both residents of Dasmariñas, Cavite, Myrna Jaravata, 53, of Biñan, Laguna, and Ric Fortuno, 45, of Quiapo Manila, were charged with estafa through falsification of public documents in the city Prosecutor’s Office.

Their latest victim was identified as William Lim, 42, a businessman, of Kabesang Porong Street, Punturin, Valenzuela, whom they duped into buying a lot in Dasmariñas for about P20 million.

Four days prior to their arrest on Jan. 27, Javarata negotiated a deal with Lim for a lot with an area of 21,107 meters in Cavite.

Javarata later introduced the victim to the Chicos, who posed as the owners of the said lot. The transactions were finalized inside Lim’s office and the victim issued them a check for P2 million as initial payment.

But when Lim carefully examined the documents, he discovered that the land title was completely fake. He immediately called police which resulted in the arrest of the suspects. – Matthew Estabillo