By TARA YAP
ILOILO CITY — The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is offering a $150,000 reward for information on Rey Grabato II, son of Mina, Iloilo mayor Rey Grabato, who has been placed on its list of Top Most Wanted Fraudsters over a $650‑million investment scam in the United States.
Grabato II is wanted “for conspiracy to commit securities fraud, securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the US with respect to tax,” the FBI said in its August 13 (August 14 Philippine time) online posting.
The bureau noted he may have ties to the Philippines and could be living there.
In its announcement, the FBI said it is offering a reward of $150,000 for information that could lead to Grabato II’s arrest.
Indicted in October 2022, Grabato II was charged by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for allegedly defrauding thousands of investors through the National Realty Investment Advisors LLC (NRIA), where he served as president and majority owner.
The FBI said he and partner Thomas Nicholas Salzano misrepresented the value of NRIA’s investment fund to acquire equity interests in real estate companies.
He is also accused of conspiring to evade $26 million in tax liabilities with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The Grabato family previously said Rey II had returned to Iloilo after recovering from an accident in the US.
He was seen publicly in 2023, engaged in construction and farming businesses.
As of press time, his whereabouts remain unknown, and the family has not issued a statement.
