The California Highway Patrol announced Wednesday the arrests of 27 people in connection with a massive “fix” ticket scheme related to illegal street racing that has plagued parts of Southern California.
The accused ringleader, Ángel Zahid Sánchez-Peralta, 21, of Los Angeles, allegedly forged the signatures of current and former CHP officers on the tickets.
Tickets were issued for violations such as illegal modifications to a vehicle or a missing part. Drivers can fix the problem and have an officer sign off that the violation has been corrected to avoid penalties.
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Ángel Zahid Sánchez-Peralta, 21, allegedly sold tickets with forged signatures in a scheme to fix tickets, authorities said.
(California Highway Patrol)
Sánchez-Peralta sold the forged signatures for $300 each, officials said Wednesday. Authorities said about 250 citations issued during street racing events were signed.
Many of the tickets were for engine and engine modifications to make them more powerful and louder, the CHP said. Others were for emissions, allowing motorists to avoid having to smog test vehicles, a requirement in California.
Sánchez-Peralta was arrested in August and released after posting $20,000 bail, according to court records, Fox Los Angeles reported. He is also charged with driving without a valid driver’s license and reckless driving. In October, he was charged with 33 counts of attempting to present a counterfeit or counterfeit instrument and one count of attempting to acquire or offer a counterfeit or counterfeit instrument, all felonies, according to court records.
He pleaded not guilty on November 16 and is due in court for a pretrial hearing on December 21.
Authorities on Tuesday arrested another 27 people in Orange County allegedly involved in the scheme after a two-year investigation. They all tried to get their tickets signed illegally, the CHP said.
Street racing and street takeovers, where crowds and motorists take control of an intersection, have plagued certain neighborhoods in and around Los Angeles. Videos from some of the gatherings have captured shootings and cars hitting onlookers.
A forged ticket bearing the name of a California Highway Patrol officer. On Wednesday, California authorities revealed a large “rigged” ticket scheme involving the forgeries in an effort to remove tickets on vehicles used for illegal street racing, officials helped.
(California Highway Patrol)
“Street racing is always illegal and extremely dangerous,” a CHP statement said. “Participants and spectators could be killed or seriously injured due to street racing activities.”
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The cities where some of the illegal gatherings occurred have passed ordinances allowing police to tow the cars involved and other measures.
