Key Fraud Suspect Held in Texas

In a major break for local prosecutors, authorities in Texas have arrested a fugitive alleged to be a key player in a fraud case involving staged accidents with big-rig trucks that killed one man on the Golden State Freeway near Sun Valley.

Los Angeles Deputy Dist. Atty. Max Huntsman described the capture of Filemon Santiago, 25, outside a Houston video store last week as significant, particularly because he is the suspected link between participants in the June, 1992, crash and an attorney who has been charged with murder.

“He is alleged to be the ‘capper’ who set up the accidents,” Huntsman said.

Cappers, or auto wreck stagers, work directly with attorneys to set up accidents aimed at collecting thousands of dollars in insurance claims on behalf of passengers. Cappers also are the ones who recruit passengers to ride in the cars and intentionally get into wrecks, often by stopping in front of other vehicles.

Authorities allege that Santiago organized wrecks for attorney and Encino resident Gary Miller, described by prosecutors as the ring’s mastermind. The case gained widespread attention after a crash killed Jose Luis Lopez Perez, 29.

Santiago, Miller, the car’s driver and two passengers face murder charges stemming from the crash. The incident was one of a chain of similar staged wrecks involving big rigs.

A passenger riding in the car in which Perez died and the owner of the car identified Santiago as the capper.

California Highway Patrol investigators said they tied Miller to the crash when some of his business cards were found at Santiago’s West Hollywood home. Santiago had fled and was not found during that search.

Eight suspected fake accidents have been linked in court records to Miller. The cases appeared to involve Santiago, and financial records document frequent payments to Santiago from Miller’s office--at least $20,000 in a 14-month period ending in September, 1991.