Syd_acid,
How much is it anyway? Does that person work? Can't he pay in installments like 200-300 a month? Try asking money in front of his friends to embarrass him. If you know his family back home, ask with them. If nothing works, tell him, you will send message to each of his friends in facebook that he had eaten your money and will ask them to give his family's phone number in Nepal. These kinds of crooks need to be dealt with no mercy. 
Coming back to legally prosecute, irritate him so much through text message (include the amount he owes in the text) that at one point he will say, no I won't pay your money back. Remember, do not threaten him. There is no problem using language like mo..fo, bi$ch, jackass, asshole. 
If you have his date of birth or SS no, they can pull his address. Address is required because the DA's office need to send registered mail with a court date for him to attend. If he lives in the same city, it is not that hard to get his address. 
If I were you, I would not let him digest my hard earned money easily. I would rather prefer to give that money to charity.