Ricardo Cepeda receives support from stepson amid case
RICARDO CEPEDA – The actor received support from his stepson after his arrest in Caloocan City on charges of syndicated estafa.
The 57-year-old actor was apprehended by the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) at a restobar located on Mabini Street in Maypajo over the weekend. This arrest was executed based on a warrant issued by Judge Gemma Bucayu-Madrid of Regional Trial Court Branch 12 in Sanchez Mira, Cagayan.
Following his arrest, Cepeda was taken to the QCPD headquarters at Camp Karingal for official documentation. It is important to note that syndicated estafa is a non-bailable offense as per Article 315, (2) (a) of the Revised Penal Code, and upon being proven beyond reasonable doubt, it carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Joshua de Sequera, his stepson, turned to social media to defend him. In a Facebook post, he urged the public to help spread the word about the wrongful accusation of his father.
He explained that his father was simply a product endorser for a sales company, where he held the title of “BRAND AMBASSADOR,” a common practice in many companies. The company offered an investment scheme without his knowledge or involvement, promising a substantial monthly profit with advanced payouts in postdated checks. However, as time went on, the checks started bouncing, leading to the investors filing estafa (fraud) cases against everyone associated with the company, including his father, who was merely a celebrity model.
Joshua asserted that Ricardo’s innocence can be easily proven by presenting a copy of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) registration, which would show that the company is a sole proprietorship, with Ricardo’s name not listed as an owner. Furthermore, his name does not appear on any of the investment memoranda of agreement (moas) or the postdated checks involved.
He emphasized that a court date would be a significant inconvenience because it would mean Ricardo is detained, even though he is innocent. Joshua also expressed frustration with the hateful comments they have seen and advised those who don’t know the full story to refrain from making negative comments.
For more news and the latest updates, feel free to visit Newspapers.ph more often as well as our Facebook page and YouTube channel.