Made a HUGE mistake in my life, Need Serious Advice (long post warning)

[bingbong]

Backstory​

Okay here goes, hi guys so I'm in a bit of a situation and would appreciate any input at this point. It's a bit long but I want to give you the entire story.

If you don't want to spend too much time reading just skip to the "TLDR : Course of Action" section at the end.

I'm from South East Asia by the way, (one of the more developed countries there) - it should be relevant for context.

So what happened was I was running an ecommerce business a couple of years ago when covid hit and it was doing amazing, until it wasn't.

Long story short we racked up a bunch of debt (suppliers mainly, and a few employees) on the business and I put everything I had personally (including my house!) to salvage the whole thing and to pay everyone.

And in my desperation, I reached out to a "friend", let's call him Andy - who I knew had money but wasn't too sure what he was doing. I asked him for a loan.

He declined, quoting his "principles" in not lending money to friends, but said he had another avenue for me to get cash fast.

The stupid mistake​

Andy introduced me to the concept of "Nominee Services", where people who are ineligible for bank accounts or would like some anonymity would use bank accounts in a "nominee's" name.

I had a bad feeling about this as I heard about money mules and what happens but somehow he managed to convince me that this was different and legitimate (plus my desperation at the time).

I ended up giving him access to not one, but FIVE of my personal bank accounts as he paid per account. *YES I KNOW I was an idiot for doing this!

I did get my regular bank statements and looked through them, but didn't think much of them as the payment reference were all about "business" and it all looked pretty legit.

I got the cash and went about my business, managed to turn the business around. About a year elapsed with no issues. Happy days, no harm no foul - so I thought.

The horror begins​

One fine night, we (my family and I) got a knock on the door, it was the police, requesting that I follow them to the station to assist with an investigation.

This being my first run-in with the law, I didn't even think of contacting a lawyer, I thought that was only for court hearings.

The Case Officer that was in charge of investigating my case briefed me on what happened and basically the 5 accounts that I gave Andy were used for SCAMS!

Scams ranging from investment scams, car plate scams (basically selling non-existent fancy car plate numbers), crypto scams, and more.

I provided all the pertinent evidence related to Andy and everything to prove I wasn't involved in the scam but it didn't matter because I was charged for lending the account, not the scams.
Andy on the other hand, unexpectedly, was un-contactable and is nowhere to be found in his residence.

The officer re-assured me that this was a minor offence and charged me under a minor Section, and told me to plead guilty in court and pay a $1000 fine.

It was nighttime so I spent the night in a lockup and went to court the following morning. Again, first run-in with the law, didn't think of getting a lawyer, represented myself. Pled guilty, paid the fine. Went home.

A few days after the court hearing, I received letters from ALL of my banks, saying that they will be no longer be providing me with services and I had to collect my cash or a cashiers check at the branch.

One of my bankers said that I had officially been blacklisted by the national bank and all banks in the country (not just the bank account that was involved in the scam) will shut my account. Not just my personal accounts, my LIMITED LIABILITY corporate accounts were shut down.

It Continues​

After a couple of months, the police came AGAIN - this time a Case officer from another state, I had to follow them all the way across the country back to the station.

Apparently, there were many more victims of Andy's and each individual victim's complaints counts as ONE case. So if Andy had scammed 50 people, I would have to give my statement in 50 different police stations under 50 different Case Officers and go to court 50 times. And crazy enough there were actually 50+ cases under my name!

(And maybe MORE that we don't know about, matter of time before the victims find out they've been scammed and start filing complaints.)

YES - in my country, you can get charged for the same crime over and over again and there's no way to lump all victims and pay it off in one charge.

I thought to myself there's no way in hell I'm getting handcuffed again and hauled to court 50 times! So I paid off the police officer (yes, bribes are very common here) and he let me go. He didn't drop the case because he couldn't , there's a complainer (the victim) on the other side, so I was basically just buying time.

Sure enough officers from different states came every single week and we paid them off every single time just to be left alone!

Until one day we had enough. I decided to face it head on. Followed the officer back to the station, and the next day was brought to court.

PRISON​

But this time, something was different. The charge read to me by the plaintiff sounded a bit different, she mentioned something about jailtime AND/OR a fine.

Apparently, the plaintiff (or something like that) can recommended a stronger charge than the one filed by the Case officer if the victim's losses are substantial!

In the absence of a lawyer and following the advice of the officer the previous night, I pled guilty and opted for a fine.

To my absolute shock, the judge practiced her "DISCRETION" to sentence me to a fine PLUS 80 days in prison!

I broke down in tears and didn't know what to do, I didn't know that I could request a re-hearing or even to plead not guilty etc...

After the sentencing I asked whether I could take it back and plead not guilty, she said NO the only thing I can do now is get a lawyer to file an APPEAL for another hearing on the case.

So I was hauled to prison and suffered for 80 days in what is truly Hell on earth. I don't want to make this longer than it already is by describing what it's like in a South East Asian's country's jail but it's bad. Just watch documentaries of it on Youtube and you'll get an idea, completely accurate.

Anyways, the lawyer came for a visit after the mandatory 2-weeks lockdown in horrible isolation cells - and he advised against an appeal as the courts are so full that by the time I get my hearing, it'd be towards the end of my sentence already. So I had to serve the full 80 days.

THE ESCAPE​

After I was out of prison I thought they'd drop the cases as I already served my sentence but NOPE the other 40+ officers continued to come as usual.

I decided that enough is enough. I'm NEVER going to be in another pair of handcuffs, another police station, another court, another jail/prison.

Especially for crimes that I didn't commit! (Yes I did stupidly give access to my account, but the perpetrators are scott-free and I'm perpetually paying for crimes against victims whom I gained nothing out of!)

I decided to leave the country. Funnily enough my travel status was clear, as I didn't have outstanding charges from the court against me (an old one I paid the fine for, another I went to prison for, and 40+ more officers looking for me to record a statement before they charged me. So technically I wasn't Wanted. Not yet anyway.

The Situation Now​

I renewed my passport for a maximum of 5 years (was surprised they allowed me), and just left for a neighbouring country, and am now a perpetual traveler.

But here's the thing. It's only a matter of time before :

1.) The cops know I've escaped and put me on Wanted in my country and my travel status is barred... Which is not an issue as long as I don't go back to my home country and just be a perpetual traveler... I don't think (TOUCH ON WOOD) they'll put me on Interpol as it's a minor offence...

But eventually :

2.) My passport expires and I'll be unable to hop country to country (About 4+ years remaining) and I'll be forced back to my home country and we all know what that entails.

TLDR : Course of Action​

What's done is done and I can't undo the past. What I'm doing now is freelancing as a web designer to fund my travels and daily expenses, and hopping from one country to another every 30 days (or whatever the country permits at a time)

I'm freelancing for clients who are willing to pay in crypto, then selling that to local sellers who pay in cash. In the meantime I've been able to incorporate a UK LTD where I got EMIs for payments - so that solves the bank account issue.

My biggest concern is the passport expiring. I have less than 5 years before I'll be stuck and in deep trouble, so I need to start planning and work towards something.

I have explored many Citizenship By Investment programs like the St. Lucia 100k investment (which I can save up for if I keep my freelancing up) where at least I can get a passport and go from there.

BUT a major obstacle that I see is that in all the documents list for CBI countries, there's always a Letter of Good Standing (or similar) requirement that basically certifies you don't have a criminal record, which obviously at this point I have, since I've been to not just jail, but also prison. And the governments will also do their due diligence.

Do you guys have any suggestions for me at this point?

MISC :

THANK YOU so much for your precious time in reading this long post.
Obviously I made these mistakes because I was dumb and desperate, but here are 10 things I learned so far (and hope some readers of this forum will take to heart)
1.) NEVER listen to the police. They just want to close cases and rise up the ranks - they do NOT have your best interest at heart!

2.) NEVER EVER become a bank "Nominee" no matter how legit or safe they make it sound

3.) NEVER plead guilty to a charge if you don't fully understand the implications

4.) NEVER blindly believe what someone says. Trust but verify!

5.) NEVER give up - keep fighting!

6.) ALWAYS have a lawyer on standby and NEVER give a police statement without him/her

7.) ALWAYS separate your business and personal finances. If the business fails it fails, don't ruin your personal life over it!

8.) ALWAYS find a way to stay alive! In the dark depths of prison I prayed every day (I was an atheist before this lol)

9.) ALWAYS appreciate your family. They're the ones that will be there for you when the world falls apart.

10.) ALWAYS educate yourself in all aspects of life. This would never have happened if I knew more about law and finance.

 

[lmd95]

I think it’s a good try for you to ask for asylum in Europe. Even if they don’t grant it to you because of insufficient grounds (which is probably), they take forever to assess it, and when they refuse it to you, they still don’t issue an order for you to leave the country except if you are from some « problem » country (so basically Africa or Middle East). Though I myself leave in Europe never went through that process but it’s a well known thing here. Beware though not all EU countries are « as good » as one each other regarding this procedure. From what I know (but again no guarantee it’s 100% accurate) Spain and Greece would be good to do that. Italy too but a bit less I would say. You can try France actually it’s the best place to do this trick I think, but prepare to learn the language REALLY well, French people and English don’t mix well… it’s especially the case when dealing with the almighty « administration » (so basically every worker of the state). Good luck please keep updated, your situation touched me, reminds me of myself a few years ago, was pretty much in the same place though maybe a bit less desperate. All the best, my friend

Edit: Actually forgot Germany which in your case (as an IT-professional) could be good too. I think over there they’re really interested in such talents and can be somewhat « flexible » when deciding what is ground for asylum and what is not. Just thoughts though.

 

[mon0sk]

I think with little bit of storytelling and getting enough paperwork you could get some asylum in Europe like told above. Nordic countries are all welcoming to even ex ISIS soldiers and their family so I dont see any problems with your case if there are literal mass murderers among those immigrants coming to these countries with no paperwork or background checks at all. Downside for you is your business will be taxed higher and if you dont pay taxes you might find your self in local prison with playstation and 3 nice warm meals a day lol

 

[JohnnyDoe]

Not an unusual story.
You will not obtain asylum anywhere, because you are responsible of your own actions, not a victim. Ignorance of the law (and life) is not an excuse.
No way you can obtain a legit CBI.
You can either remain a fugitive for the rest of your life, or go back to your country and face the consequences of your actions. With the same budget of a CBI you should be able to pay the legal fees.

 

[jafo]

I don't have a solution for you, but I would like to find out where I can find this Andy guy! Do you have a picture? Contact details? I need to show Andy his rights (and some lefts - left hook, left jab, left uppercut).

- Asking for a friend!

PS. Just kidding, of course. BUT it would be nice to doxx Andy so he doesn't come here on OCT and scam someone else.

EDIT: Possible solution:

Go to Reddit and find the group(s) that provide legal advice in your country, if none, create one, and start emailing law offices/lawyers who specialize in penal cases to join and gather clients.
For example:

• the USA has this one: Reddit - Dive into anything
• Europe has this one: Reddit - Dive into anything
• UK has this one: Reddit - Dive into anything
• Canada has this one: Reddit - Dive into anything
• Germany has this: Reddit - Dive into anything
• ad infinitum...

Ask this same question there and see which lawyer can help you.
You catch the drift, right? Try this. That's what I would do. Actually, I have done these hundreds of times and saved myself from so many headaches that it is beyond human comprehension.

 

[Martin Everson]

Do you guys have any suggestions for me at this point?

You need to go back home and face the music. This is all of your own doing and you got to take responsibility for your actions and choices you made.

Especially for crimes that I didn't commit! (Yes I did stupidly give access to my account, but the perpetrators are scott-free and I'm perpetually paying for crimes against victims whom I gained nothing out of!)

You facilitated these crimes. As far as I am concerned if I was scammed because you facilitated the scammer then they can throw you under the prison naked for all I care.

P.S Right now you are probably adding more charges.

 

[peter taradash]

I am surprised at all the nonsense "advice" you got on this site which I thought had intelligent people on it. Many people need to leave their past behind and start fresh. You are no exception. You are not a criminal --jus a bit stupid (which we all are sometimes)...
In this world there are probably well over 200 million people living invisibly. as PTs. How to do it? If you can't figure it out yourself, Barry Reid, Eden Press wrote a how-to manual called Paper Trip. Then there is always the PT book I wrote 40 years ago. Both are cheap & digital ...
Obviously, you simply go to a big place that you enjoy-- like the USA or EU, or any country or Federation where you don't have to show "real" ID to cross borders. Youlive normally but low profile and you stay clean. As long as you have a source of income, you won't need any passport. But there are many ways to get one without proving no criminal record, or paying a lot of money. With your problem it's best not to drive a car at all because an accident or traffic violation could bring you to the attention of "the authorities;" but just for ID it's usually easy to get a driver's license in any name in the third world. In Thailand, it used to cost only around $200 for a lawyer to get you one. Then you might want an International Driving License as well --though they are usually only good for a year. Excellent Fake D Ls are still available at a low price everywhere, usually for underage drinkers, but it’s unlikely that someone renting an apartment or storage unit will notice or care about their validity. Esp. if it’s from a state other than the one where you’re seeking to use services. See my submission here about PT. If you can't find it, I'll post it again ...

 

[bingbong]

I think it’s a good try for you to ask for asylum in Europe. Even if they don’t grant it to you because of insufficient grounds (which is probably), they take forever to assess it, and when they refuse it to you, they still don’t issue an order for you to leave the country except if you are from some « problem » country (so basically Africa or Middle East). Though I myself leave in Europe never went through that process but it’s a well known thing here. Beware though not all EU countries are « as good » as one each other regarding this procedure. From what I know (but again no guarantee it’s 100% accurate) Spain and Greece would be good to do that. Italy too but a bit less I would say. You can try France actually it’s the best place to do this trick I think, but prepare to learn the language REALLY well, French people and English don’t mix well… it’s especially the case when dealing with the almighty « administration » (so basically every worker of the state). Good luck please keep updated, your situation touched me, reminds me of myself a few years ago, was pretty much in the same place though maybe a bit less desperate. All the best, my friend

Edit: Actually forgot Germany which in your case (as an IT-professional) could be good too. I think over there they’re really interested in such talents and can be somewhat « flexible » when deciding what is ground for asylum and what is not. Just thoughts though.

Thank you for your reply. I'll look into your suggestions esp Germany. Not sure I have enough grounds for asylum though as I'm not really facing prosecution or *wanted* yet BUT if I go back to my country I know for sure they'll be coming for me for MONEY and if I refuse then we have to go to court and face the whole thing again.

I think with little bit of storytelling and getting enough paperwork you could get some asylum in Europe like told above. Nordic countries are all welcoming to even ex ISIS soldiers and their family so I dont see any problems with your case if there are literal mass murderers among those immigrants coming to these countries with no paperwork or background checks at all. Downside for you is your business will be taxed higher and if you dont pay taxes you might find your self in local prison with playstation and 3 nice warm meals a day lol

Thank you for your reply. Do you have examples of this and resources I can look into

Not an unusual story.
You will not obtain asylum anywhere, because you are responsible of your own actions, not a victim. Ignorance of the law (and life) is not an excuse.
No way you can obtain a legit CBI.
You can either remain a fugitive for the rest of your life, or go back to your country and face the consequences of your actions. With the same budget of a CBI you should be able to pay the legal fees.

Thanks for the reply Johnny - I get what you mean but to be honest at this point after experiencing prison once I'd rather opt for the former if it comes to that. Yes I can get a lawyer this time and the charge definitely allows for bail but it'll be YEARS of being stuck in the country (they take your passport when you get bail) with no guarantee of a resolution, and there's always a risk of losing the case.

Though you are right 100k goes a long way in my country. If I were to do this it would be to drag out all the cases for years and get the lawyer to strike plea deals to pay the fines or approach the victims one by one and pay them off to get them to drop the cases.

I don't have a solution for you, but I would like to find out where I can find this Andy guy! Do you have a picture? Contact details? I need to show Andy his rights (and some lefts - left hook, left jab, left uppercut).

- Asking for a friend!

PS. Just kidding, of course. BUT it would be nice to doxx Andy so he doesn't come here on OCT and scam someone else.

EDIT: Possible solution:

Go to Reddit and find the group(s) that provide legal advice in your country, if none, create one, and start emailing law offices/lawyers who specialize in penal cases to join and gather clients.
For example:

• the USA has this one: Reddit - Dive into anything
• Europe has this one: Reddit - Dive into anything
• UK has this one: Reddit - Dive into anything
• Canada has this one: Reddit - Dive into anything
• Germany has this: Reddit - Dive into anything
• ad infinitum...

Ask this same question there and see which lawyer can help you.
You catch the drift, right? Try this. That's what I would do. Actually, I have done these hundreds of times and saved myself from so many headaches that it is beyond human comprehension.

Thank you, Jafo. Yes I can give you his details if you'd like.

I will look into Reddit and seek a solution. I have 4+ years to find a solution so let's see.

I mean, there is still a SLIGHT chance (need a miracle) that after 5 years none of the officers will bother to put me on wanted and I'd still be able to renew my passport, and do that perpetually, it's just important for me to stay out of the country so that I don't have to keep paying them off.

 

[bingbong]

You need to go back home and face the music. This is all of your own doing and you got to take responsibility for your actions and choices you made.



You facilitated these crimes. As far as I am concerned if I was scammed because you facilitated the scammer then they can throw you under the prison naked for all I care.

P.S Right now you are probably adding more charges.

Thanks for the reply Martin - I appreciate your sentiment and I too have been scammed in other instances and would wish the same upon someone that facilitated that crime regardless of what the story was.

But I've been doing the "decision tree" over and over in my head and on paper and going back just doesn't make sense to me at this point.

It's bad, Martin. You eat where you s**t - sharing the cell with murderers, rapists, and the prison guards hit you at whim (no legal recourse), no medication or adequate food/clean water (the higher ups swindle the budgets allocated to the prisons), etc etc... just talking about it gives me the chills.

Maybe I just need time to think it through again. The experience of prison is haunting me and though it's unlikely it'll happen again if I have a lawyer present, even a 0.1% risk of mistakes or externalities that would land me in prison again is enough for me to take the other route.

 

[jafo]

Thanks for the reply Martin - I appreciate your sentiment and I too have been scammed in other instances and would wish the same upon someone that facilitated that crime regardless of what the story was.

But I've been doing the "decision tree" over and over in my head and on paper and going back just doesn't make sense to me at this point.

It's bad, Martin. You eat where you s**t - sharing the cell with murderers, rapists, and the prison guards hit you at whim (no legal recourse), no medication or adequate food/clean water (the higher ups swindle the budgets allocated to the prisons), etc etc... just talking about it gives me the chills.

Maybe I just need time to think it through again. The experience of prison is haunting me and though it's unlikely it'll happen again if I have a lawyer present, even a 0.1% risk of mistakes or externalities that would land me in prison again is enough for me to take the other route.

Go to a country where there is NO extradition and then you cut a deal with the prosecution. You need leverage.

 

[bingbong]

I am surprised at all the nonsense "advice" you got on this site which I thought had intelligent people on it. Many people need to leave their past behind and start fresh. You are no exception. You are not a criminal --jus a bit stupid (which we all are sometimes)...
In this world there are probably well over 200 million people living invisibly. as PTs. How to do it? If you can't figure it out yourself, Barry Reid, Eden Press wrote a how-to manual called Paper Trip. Then there is always the PT book I wrote 40 years ago. Both are cheap & digital ...
Obviously, you simply go to a big place that you enjoy-- like the USA or EU, or any country or Federation where you don't have to show "real" ID to cross borders. Youlive normally but low profile and you stay clean. As long as you have a source of income, you won't need any passport. But there are many ways to get one without proving no criminal record, or paying a lot of money. With your problem it's best not to drive a car at all because an accident or traffic violation could bring you to the attention of "the authorities;" but just for ID it's usually easy to get a driver's license in any name in the third world. In Thailand, it used to cost only around $200 for a lawyer to get you one. Then you might want an International Driving License as well --though they are usually only good for a year. Excellent Fake D Ls are still available at a low price everywhere, usually for underage drinkers, but it’s unlikely that someone renting an apartment or storage unit will notice or care about their validity. Esp. if it’s from a state other than the one where you’re seeking to use services. See my submission here about PT. If you can't find it, I'll post it again ...

Thank you, Peter. I found The Paper Clip I by Barry Reid and will give it a read. Have also read your postings in the PT threads.

Just to give you some context I'm actually from a certain South East Asian country. You probably can guess which one.

As much as I love the US I don't think it would be possible as I'd have to go back to my country's ambassy to apply for a Visa and the Good Standing Cert thing would apply.

UK might be possible as I do have a UK LTD where I'm doing web design and hopefully I can grow that into something substantial and it might open doors to something (I don't know what, but something)

So right now I'm doing what you've alluded to, living low profile, doing my web design and thus far I haven't gotten my passport checked. It's still valid, but I'm picturing what would be the chances of it getting checked once it expires.

Where I'm at now it's all digital nomads and tourists so the locals are accustomed to foreigners and it seems viable long term but is it really a good way to live? Having no real home and hopping here and there. I mean when the passport expires. I'm kinda at a crossroads at this point.

I just want to live a normal life, run my business and go where I want without fear. But I'm already in this mess...

Go to a country where there is NO extradition and then you cut a deal with the prosecution. You need leverage.

You mean I'll go to that country and then contact the prosecution from my home country?

Do you have examples of this working out, and are these deals binding? i.e. they guarantee they won't do a "gotcha" once I get back home.

Guys, appreciate the suggestions thus far - have replied to everyone, some replies pending moderation.

 

[jafo]

You mean I'll go to that country and then contact the prosecution from my home country?

Yes! For example, if something like this happened to me, I would go to Russia, find a way to stay there, and then contact the prosecution of my country. Regardless of what the law says, you can negotiate a deal and then get an attorney to seal the deal. You were scammed, scapegoated. You must have something on this Andy!

 

[luap]

Move to a LATAM country which has a low amount of time to naturalise, ie go to Argentina and stick around until you get the passport

 

[Clank]

I know some people that can buy you a legal status in the country allowing you to live there indefinitely (residence permit)

Can you send me more info about this?

 

[bingbong]

Yes! For example, if something like this happened to me, I would go to Russia, find a way to stay there, and then contact the prosecution of my country. Regardless of what the law says, you can negotiate a deal and then get an attorney to seal the deal. You were scammed, scapegoated. You must have something on this Andy!

Will consult a lawyer to find out more about this. Taking it one day at a time.

Move to a LATAM country which has a low amount of time to naturalise, ie go to Argentina and stick around until you get the passport

Are there any examples of a successful case doing this?

 

[peter taradash]

Re: These people who write about applying for asylum...They have obviously never gone through the process.,. It takes forever just to get an interview, and a favorable decision is RARE. But that is not the worst part! *Once you are in a place as an overstayer or illegal migrant and the government knows you are there, the odds are you will be deported back to wherever you came from. *
This would be a worst-case scenario for you. I can't guess where you are from, but if you are NOT from the Philippines or Thailand and you could go there, go. There are hundreds of thousands of "TnTs" in those places -- TNT meaning people living without proper legal resident status. In fact, the only place I know of where there is active pursuit of "Undocumented" illegal aliens is the USA. And there, if you are white, low profile & speak good English, and fit in, you are not ever going to be questioned. Just stay off all official government records! *Never apply for asylum, residence, or a passport if there is a chance you will be "discovered" and deported.*
Same in the EU, USA or GB. Once you are there and have accumulated enough capital, you can make the next move which IMO would be to simply go and live your life anywhere you want with or without the proper papers. you can, with proper planning get across land borders & GO ANYWHERE without papers. You can go anywhere except in the place where there are pending lawsuits against you or even worse, warrants for your arrest.
Avoid crossing borders where you'd have to show passports or other real ID.
Those old cliches about the Canadian Mounties (or other law enforcement agencies ) always getting their man just are not true. Go to any of the beaches in foreign-owned bars in Pattaya Thailand, or thousands of places elsewhere & you will see many people enjoying a new life in spite of having made mistakes (and being "wanted") in their home countries. A major fugitive like Carlos Ghosn is kind of stuck in the one place (Lebanon) where he is protected and safe. But a minor fugitive like you can live & go literally anywhere --if you are careful about it. In the Peter Taradash other old book, Bye Bye Big Brother, this kind of life is fully explained. The longer you "lay low," the more you will be forgotten ...The people who want to jail or sue you will have other new & bigger fish to fry. My main clients used to be ex-husbands pursued by wives for alimony, etc. In the USA they were jailed and also had their passports revoked if they showed up in court in person. Their problems were worse than yours. but the easy solution was to not fight the system, but to leave the country & start a new life--which is exactly what you should do. Cheer up. Your new life begins today! P.T.

 

[wellington]

duh its money laundering....

1.) The cops know I've escaped and put me on Wanted in my country and my travel status is barred... Which is not an issue as long as I don't go back to my home country and just be a perpetual traveler... I don't think (TOUCH ON WOOD) they'll put me on Interpol as it's a minor offence...

 

[lmd95]

Re: These people who write about applying for asylum...They have obviously never gone through the process.,. It takes forever just to get an interview, and a favorable decision is RARE. But that is not the worst part! *Once you are in a place as an overstayer or illegal migrant and the government knows you are there, the odds are you will be deported back to wherever you came from. *
This would be a worst-case scenario for you. I can't guess where you are from, but if you are NOT from the Philippines or Thailand and you could go there, go. There are hundreds of thousands of "TnTs" in those places -- TNT meaning people living without proper legal resident status. In fact, the only place I know of where there is active pursuit of "Undocumented" illegal aliens is the USA. And there, if you are white, low profile & speak good English, and fit in, you are not ever going to be questioned. Just stay off all official government records! *Never apply for asylum, residence, or a passport if there is a chance you will be "discovered" and deported.*
Same in the EU, USA or GB. Once you are there and have accumulated enough capital, you can make the next move which IMO would be to simply go and live your life anywhere you want with or without the proper papers. you can, with proper planning get across land borders & GO ANYWHERE without papers. You can go anywhere except in the place where there are pending lawsuits against you or even worse, warrants for your arrest.
Avoid crossing borders where you'd have to show passports or other real ID.
Those old cliches about the Canadian Mounties (or other law enforcement agencies ) always getting their man just are not true. Go to any of the beaches in foreign-owned bars in Pattaya Thailand, or thousands of places elsewhere & you will see many people enjoying a new life in spite of having made mistakes (and being "wanted") in their home countries. A major fugitive like Carlos Ghosn is kind of stuck in the one place (Lebanon) where he is protected and safe. But a minor fugitive like you can live & go literally anywhere --if you are careful about it. In the Peter Taradash other old book, Bye Bye Big Brother, this kind of life is fully explained. The longer you "lay low," the more you will be forgotten ...The people who want to jail or sue you will have other new & bigger fish to fry. My main clients used to be ex-husbands pursued by wives for alimony, etc. In the USA they were jailed and also had their passports revoked if they showed up in court in person. Their problems were worse than yours. but the easy solution was to not fight the system, but to leave the country & start a new life--which is exactly what you should do. Cheer up. Your new life begins today! P.T.

Man I have factual cases of people I’ve seen and talked to that haven’t been approved for asylum and didn’t receive deportation order, 1 in Malta and almost a dozen in France … so you must be speak about some other place

 

[jesuschrist]

Not a good situation, the police will chase you as long as they don't have this Andy guy.
Criminals usually use homeless people as nominess/money mules because when the police ask them they say they don't remember or don't know those people. This guy made the mistake to use a citizen like you because you can fight back.

Your best chance is to get as much evidence as you can against this Andy guy, with enough evidence the prosecution might drop your case.
Maybe try to contact the victims and share with them all the info you have about that guy, with more resources more chance to discover him,
of course if you find his location don't do anything bad haha, just give that info to the police.

 

[bingbong]

Not a good situation, the police will chase you as long as they don't have this Andy guy.
Criminals usually use homeless people as nominess/money mules because when the police ask them they say they don't remember or don't know those people. This guy made the mistake to use a citizen like you because you can fight back.

Your best chance is to get as much evidence as you can against this Andy guy, with enough evidence the prosecution might drop your case.
Maybe try to contact the victims and share with them all the info you have about that guy, with more resources more chance to discover him,
of course if you find his location don't do anything bad haha, just give that info to the police.

Yea I've shared most of what I have on Andy with the cops.

The thing is they're not actually charging me with the scamming and even said they know I didn't do it, they're charging me under a different section of the law as a money mule.

And the worst thing is there can be a never-ending stream of cases as I don't know how many Andy or his clients have scammed. As I know now there's 50, 2 of which I've paid off - one with a fine and the other with jailtime AND a fine.

Re: These people who write about applying for asylum...They have obviously never gone through the process.,. It takes forever just to get an interview, and a favorable decision is RARE. But that is not the worst part! *Once you are in a place as an overstayer or illegal migrant and the government knows you are there, the odds are you will be deported back to wherever you came from. *
This would be a worst-case scenario for you. I can't guess where you are from, but if you are NOT from the Philippines or Thailand and you could go there, go. There are hundreds of thousands of "TnTs" in those places -- TNT meaning people living without proper legal resident status. In fact, the only place I know of where there is active pursuit of "Undocumented" illegal aliens is the USA. And there, if you are white, low profile & speak good English, and fit in, you are not ever going to be questioned. Just stay off all official government records! *Never apply for asylum, residence, or a passport if there is a chance you will be "discovered" and deported.*
Same in the EU, USA or GB. Once you are there and have accumulated enough capital, you can make the next move which IMO would be to simply go and live your life anywhere you want with or without the proper papers. you can, with proper planning get across land borders & GO ANYWHERE without papers. You can go anywhere except in the place where there are pending lawsuits against you or even worse, warrants for your arrest.
Avoid crossing borders where you'd have to show passports or other real ID.
Those old cliches about the Canadian Mounties (or other law enforcement agencies ) always getting their man just are not true. Go to any of the beaches in foreign-owned bars in Pattaya Thailand, or thousands of places elsewhere & you will see many people enjoying a new life in spite of having made mistakes (and being "wanted") in their home countries. A major fugitive like Carlos Ghosn is kind of stuck in the one place (Lebanon) where he is protected and safe. But a minor fugitive like you can live & go literally anywhere --if you are careful about it. In the Peter Taradash other old book, Bye Bye Big Brother, this kind of life is fully explained. The longer you "lay low," the more you will be forgotten ...The people who want to jail or sue you will have other new & bigger fish to fry. My main clients used to be ex-husbands pursued by wives for alimony, etc. In the USA they were jailed and also had their passports revoked if they showed up in court in person. Their problems were worse than yours. but the easy solution was to not fight the system, but to leave the country & start a new life--which is exactly what you should do. Cheer up. Your new life begins today! P.T.

Thanks PT, I need some time to digest what you've said as it's a bit... extreme considering my papers are still valid and I have a couple of years to sort things out. I'm only 20+ , would I want to live my life that way for the rest of it? I'm not too sure...

I'm neither from the Philippines nor Thailand but have visited Thailand many times as a tourist. A plus I have is I'm ethnically (racially?) Chinese but get mistaken as a local everywhere I go so that helps if I were to go that route.

Appreciate your insights thus far.