American sex offender nabbed in Quezon City

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) agents have arrested an American fugitive wanted by federal authorities in Texas, USA for being a sex offender.

In a report on Thursday, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente identified the fugitive as Stacey Thomas, 49, who was arrested last Friday at his residence at the Bagong Buwan Teresa Heights in Fairview, Quezon City.

The Immigration official noted that he ordered the arrest of Thomas at the request of the US Embassy in Manila which sought his deportation to the US so he could stand trial for his crime.

Thomas is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by a US District Court in Western Texas where he was charged with the crime of abusive sexual contact, Morente said.

It was learned that Thomas has been on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) wanted list since July 2010 when the court warrant was issued.

BI intelligence officer Bobby Raquepo, BI’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU), said the fugitive was also an undocumented alien due to the cancelation of his passport by the US government.

Thomas fled to the Philippines in August 2010, a month after the arrest warrant against him was issued, Raquepo added.

The American is presently detained at the BI detention facility in Taguig City pending issuance of the order for his deportation by the bureau’s board of commissioners. /je