KOJC administrator Duenas sentenced by US court

NEW YORK — Another administrator of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) has been sentenced by a court in Los Angeles.

Judge Terry Hatter Jr. of the United States District Court, Central District of California, ordered the immediate commitment of KOJC administrator Marissa Duenas to the Bureau of Prisons.

Duenas earlier pleaded guilty to Count 7 of the superseding indictment, which involved visa fraud and sham marriages. She reached a plea agreement with the US Attorney's Office in exchange for a reduced sentence.

According to court records, Duenas has already served the prison term imposed by the court and will instead be placed under two years of supervised release.

Under supervised release, Duenas must comply with all court-imposed conditions. She is strictly prohibited from committing any crimes or violating any local, state, or federal laws.

Duenas served as the human resources leader of KOJC in the United States. She was responsible for collecting and securing the passports and immigration-related documents of KOJC workers to prevent them from accessing their own records. She also facilitated the processing of fraudulent immigration documents, including sham marriages and student visas, to keep workers in the US and solicit donations for KOJC.

The court also granted the motion of the US Attorney's Office to dismiss the remaining charges against Duenas, as stipulated in the plea agreement between both parties.

GMA News Online has reached out to KOJC legal counsel Israelito Torreon regarding Duenas' sentencing but he has yet to respond as of posting time.

Last April, the court sentenced Guia Cabactulan, who likewise entered into a plea agreement. She was ordered to serve six months of imprisonment.

Cabactulan worked as the lead KOJC administrator in the United States. She operated the KOJC compound and maintained direct communication with KOJC leadership in the Philippines. She was responsible for tracking funds raised by KOJC workers in the US and reporting the amounts to KOJC administrators in the Philippines until around 2015, when Amanda Estopare took over that role. 

Cabactulan also oversaw the preparation and submission of immigration documents for KOJC workers from the Philippines and other countries, before the responsibility was transferred to Duenas.

Amanda Estopare, another KOJC official who also entered into a plea agreement with the US Attorney's Office, is scheduled to be sentenced in the coming months. Estopare and Cabactulan entered into plea agreements in October 2024 after admitting their involvement in KOJC visa fraud operations. 

Meanwhile, KOJC leader Apollo Quiboloy—who remains in detention in the Philippines over qualified human trafficking and sexual abuse charges—along with Helen Panilag and Teresita Dandan, are still wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). — VDV, GMA Integrated News