How illegal street racers in LA, Orange counties allegedly avoided paying citations

LOS ANGELES - Details of an alleged fix-it ticket scam that allegedly enabled illegal street racers in Los Angeles and Orange counties to avoid paying thousands of dollars-worth of citations were released by California Highway Patrol Wednesday. 

According to CHP, the accused ringleader, 21-year-old Angel Zahid Sanchez-Peralta of Los Angeles, is accused of obtaining stamps with names of current and retired CHP officers and selling the bogus proof so illegal street racers could avoid having to pay for tickets requiring them to fix unlawful modifications of their cars. 

Over a two-year period, Sanchez-Peralta would charge $300 for phony documents that would show citations were fixed, CHP said, eventually signing off on more than 250 citations issued during street racing events in Los Angeles and Orange counties. 

Most of the citations were for the modifying of engines and motors to make them more powerful and noisier, CHP said. Some of the citations were for emissions, so the phony documents allowed motorists to avoid getting vehicles smogged.

Sanchez-Peralta was arrested in August and was released when he posted $20,000 bail, according to court records. He pleaded not guilty Nov. 16 and is next due in court for a pretrial hearing Dec. 21.

Sanchez-Peralta is also charged with driving without a valid driver's license and reckless driving. He was charged in October with 33 counts of attempting to file a false or forged instrument and a count of attempting to procure or offer a false or forged instrument, all felonies, according to court records.

Additionally, 27 others in Orange County allegedly involved in the scheme were also arrested.

City News Service contributed to this report.