Man who disappeared with $90,000 found in Mexico

He disappeared along with over ninety thousand dollars in December and even a bounty of a thousand dollars for his apprehension, yielded no clues as to his whereabouts. But it turns out that all the while twenty-one year old Hong Jian has been an unwanted guest of the Mexican government in Quintana Roo. Soon after he allegedly made off with the money from his employer, North America International Company Limited at the Commercial Free Zone, Hong apparently tried to skip town by fleeing north. But his luck ran out on December sixteenth when he tried to pass through the Mexican border without proper traveling documents and was detained. Corozal police finally found out about Hong’s presence in a Mexican jail after contacting their police counterparts to inquire about him. But while Hong is in jail for an immigration crime, Officer Commanding the Corozal Police Station, Superintendent Miguel Guzman, told News Five that it is going to be difficult for the North America International Company to get back their money since Mexican authorities have decided to deport Hong to his native China after they have dealt with him. We are told that when Hong was arrested, he had on him a substantial amount of Mexican pesos, presumed to be the money stolen from his employer. But because the theft was not committed in Mexico and since his employer has not yet filed a report with Mexican police, that money will be returned to Hong upon his deportation.

Voice of Supt. Miguel Guzman, O.C., Corozal
“After serving his time, whether it be a fine or imprisonment, he will be deported back to China, despite the fact that we had made the request for him to be sent back to Belize because the offense was committed from Belize going into Chetumal and he was legally in Belize. The money will be returned to him and not another person unless there is a report made against that person. But in this case remember, Belize because of its territorial integrity, has its own case to deal with and no report has been made with Mexican authorities to say well a crime has been committed there. So in that case there’s no crime committed in Mexico except what was committed by Hong Jian with the immigration offenses. He has already appeared before a tribunal in Chetumal and now he is only awaiting deportation after serving his term or paying his fine.”

Marion Ali
“And the fine could be paid out of that same Mexican money?”

Voice of Supt. Miguel Guzman
“Yes, I believe so.”

Marion Ali
“Sounds as if though he has been successful in evading prosecution here in Belize after stealing over ninety thousand dollars Mr. Guzman.”

Voice of Supt. Miguel Guzman
“I don’t think the company would suffer any loss. On his arrival in China, from what I was told, they will seek to redress the matter and have him prosecuted through civil court action in order to recover back the money that was stolen.”

Guzman says Hong misled Mexican authorities into believing that he was tricked into working for Jun Zhung at the Free Zone and payments would be made to his account in Taiwan. However, further investigations have revealed that Hong signed a binding contract with Zhung and that contract would have expired at the end of December 2008, about fifteen days after he decided to jump ship.