The person at the center of this case
Helen Panilag (wanted suspect)
Cold Case · Open
4 years waiting · since 2021
HELEN PANILAG
Justice for Helen Panilag (wanted suspect) — the trail went cold in 2021, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
🎯
suspect
Lead #1Where is Helen Panilag currently located and has she fled to the Philippines or another country?
🔍
evidence
Lead #2What financial records exist documenting the flow of fraudulently obtained donations to church leadership?
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person
Lead #3How many victims were trafficked through this scheme and what is their current status and safety?
Helen Panilag is wanted for her alleged role as a top church administrator in a labor trafficking conspiracy that brought Filipino church members to the United States through fraudulent visas and forced them to solicit donations for a fake charity. The scheme allegedly funneled millions in donations to finance church operations and lavish lifestyles of its leaders, with victims coerced into sham marriages or fraudulent student visas to continue soliciting year-round. Panilag's current whereabouts remain unknown, and her arrest is critical to dismantling this international trafficking network and protecting vulnerable victims.
Case
#1060
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
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More leads to consider
Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
💡
clue
Lead #4Who are the other church leaders involved in this conspiracy and have they been apprehended?
📞
contact
Lead #5What communication networks or aliases might Panilag be using to evade law enforcement?
Have information about any of these leads?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Source Narrative
Conspiracy Caution: Helen Panilag is wanted for her alleged participation in a labor trafficking scheme that brought church members of a Philippines-based church to the United States, via fraudulently obtained visas, and forced the members to solicit donations for a bogus charity, donations that actually were used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders. Members who proved successful at soliciting for the church allegedly were forced to enter into sham marriages or obtain fraudulent student visas to continue soliciting in the United States year-round.
Panilag is the alleged one-time top church administrator in the United States who oversaw the collection of financial data from church operations around the globe. Panilag was indicted for conspiracy by a federal grand jury in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Santa Ana, California, and on November 10, 2021, a federal warrant was issued for her arrest.
Timeline of Events
🕵️
2021-11-10
Federal Warrant Issued
A federal warrant was issued for Helen Panilag's arrest by a federal grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California following her indictment for conspiracy related to labor trafficking.
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:November 10, 2021
Last Updated:June 15, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:November 10, 2021
Last Updated:June 15, 2026