Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation arrested a woman accused of posing as a lawyer to swindle a complainant of P5 million in Tarlac City on charges including syndicated estafa and usurpation of authority.

NBI Director Jaime Santiago identified the suspect as Jenny Macanas Sapad, who also used the aliases Sheila Castillo and Angel Roxas y Sotero.

She was apprehended by the NBI Criminal Intelligence Division following an entrapment operation.

The arrest stemmed from a complaint alleging that a person named Sheila Naransa Castillo, who claimed to be a legal counsel, took the money in exchange for securing a favorable court resolution that would guarantee the complainant a specific parcel of land.

To lend credibility to the scam, the suspect reportedly presented falsified receipts and documents bearing the forged signatures of a judge and a clerk of court from the Regional Trial Courts of Tarlac and Camiling to suggest legitimate transactions with government agencies and courts.

NBI investigation confirmed that Sapad was not listed on the official registries of the Supreme Court Office of the Bar Confidant or the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

When agents confirmed the alleged illegal activities, an entrapment operation was planned. Although the initial meeting was scheduled at the Hall of Justice in Tarlac, the suspect instructed the complainant to meet her at a local fast-food chain instead.

Agents proceeded to the new location and arrested Sapad. An identification card bearing the alias Angel Roxas y Sotero was confiscated.

During booking, the suspect provided her true name, Jenny Macanas Sapad.

She was presented for inquest proceedings on charges of:

• Syndicated estafa through falsification of public documents in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10175)

• Usurpation of authority and official function (Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code)

• Use of fictitious name and concealing true name (Article 178 of the Revised Penal Code)

Sapad’s alleged cohorts were also charged with syndicated estafa through falsification of public documents in relation to R.A. No. 10175.