CHP arrests 27 suspects in Orange County forged fix-it ticket operation

Twenty-seven people were arrested in connection with a scheme to put the forged signatures of California Highway Patrol officers on more than 250 fix-it tickets, authorities announced Wednesday.

The suspects were arrested Tuesday by the Highway Patrol as part of an operation that started in 2020 with the arrest of Angel Zahid Sanchez-Peralta.

Investigators with the CHP’s Southern Division identified a street racing promoter who they say illegally signed off over 250 traffic citations. The tickets were issued during illegal street racing operations in Los Angeles and Orange counties, according to the CHP.

Officials said the suspect was Sanchez-Peralta and he forged the signatures of both retired and current CHP officers on the fix-it tickets. These tickets are issued by law enforcement when a vehicle is in violation for being illegally modified or missing a vital part. After a driver fixes the issue and shows it to an officer who signs off on the corrected violation, the car owner can avoid any penalties and instead pay a small fine.

But Sanchez-Peralta sold the forged signatures for $300 each, according to officials. He was arrested after authorities served a search warrant at his home in August 2020.

He was charged by the Orange County district attorney’s office for 33 counts of attempt to file a forged instrument in a public office and one count of attempt to procure or offer a false or forged instrument for record. Officials found evidence at his home that identified 27 residents in Orange County who allegedly paid him to sign off on their citations. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to court records.

Investigators said Sanchez-Peralta promoted his scheme on Instagram alongside illegal street racing events, the Orange County Register reported.

It’s unclear whether the suspects arrested this week were cited at street races or other illegal events. The Orange County district attorney’s office said they have yet to file charges against the people arrested by the CHP.

“Street racing is always illegal and extremely dangerous,” the CHP said in a statement. “Participants and onlookers could be killed or seriously injured because of street racing activities.”