Susp. Con Man Pleads Not Guilty to Illegally Entering U.S.

Suspected Hotel Con Man Pleads Not Guilty to Illegally Entering U.S.
Thursday, October 08, 2009


BURLINGTON, Vt — A Colombian man suspected of swindling wealthy hotel guests worldwide has pleaded not guilty to federal charges he illegally entered the U.S. from Canada.

Juan Carlos Guzman Betancur waived his right to appear in court Thursday and entered the plea through his lawyer.

Guzman was arrested last month at a gas station near the U.S.-Canadian border in Derby Line.

Authorities say 33-year-old has at least 10 aliases and has talked his way into other people's hotel rooms and locked safes around the world.

Las Vegas police say he was accused in 2003 of impersonating a hotel guest and making off with a large amount of jewelry and cash.

Officials say Guzman first showed up in the U.S. in 1993 at a Miami airport pretending to be a 13-year-old orphan.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,562564,00.html