Alleged Scam Leaves Media Scrambling

An alleged million-dollar housing scam has left some of the nation’s largest media organizations, including The Los Angeles Times, scrambling for accommodations at the Olympics with the Games to begin in less than two weeks.

While police were still sorting out the matter, journalists from Latin America were trying to make housing arrangements with local residents.

The Times and the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service were among the U.S. media groups facing last-minute snags.

Meggen Mills was arrested Monday on seven counts of theft by deception. At least seven news and broadcast agencies said they gave her $1 million for apartments, rental cars and cellular phones only to arrive in Atlanta to some or none of what they needed.

Mills is a representative of Corporate Key Companies. Her attorney, Bruce Morris, said she was still trying to find apartments until she was jailed Tuesday on $100,000 bond. She was released on bail Wednesday.

Bill Dwyre, Times sports editor, said he researched Mills before making accommodations.

“She had a very good reputation,” Dwyre said. “She did a lot of work with the World Cup. It all checked out. I was fooled.”

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Daniel Santiago, a 7-foot-1 backup center at New Mexico, has been named to Puerto Rico’s 12-member Olympic basketball squad, a team official confirmed.

Santiago, 20, will be the youngest but tallest player on the Puerto Rican squad and will back up Jose Ortiz, who formerly played with the NBA’s Utah Jazz, said Hector Reyes, president of the Puerto Rico Basketball Federation in Puerto Rico.

Lubbock, Texas-born Santiago, who grew up in Albuquerque, is one-quarter Puerto Rican.