An American fugitive, who is wanted in his country for alleged sexual assault, has been arrested in Nueva Ecija while extending his tourist visa with the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
In a statement, the BI identified the American national as Michael Lewis Ginsberg, 67, who was intercepted at the bureau’s field office in Cabanatuan City.
“According to the United States authorities, Ginsberg is the subject of a warrant of arrest for one count of sexual assault by the Superior Court of Maricopa County in Arizona dated July 2024,” the BI said.
It said: “He was charged after allegedly assaulting a client while working as a massage therapist. When confronted, he was said to have fled his residence and hid in New York, then flew to the Philippines in June 2024,” it added.
The BI said the US government has also processed the American’s passport for revocation.
It said that when the American went to the Cabanatuan City field office, he underwent a derogatory check before an immigration assessor.
However, the immigration officer flagged Ginsberg upon finding that he is a fugitive.
“He was immediately arrested by the BI’s fugitive search unit (FSU) and is now held at the BI’s facility inside Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig pending deportation,” it also said.