MIAMI (AP) - A former Florida Highway Patrol trooper is accused of helping his friend cover up a hit-and-run crash that severely injured a gardener.
Thirty-five-year-old David Casillas was arrested Tuesday in Miami. He's charged with organized fraud, filing a false insurance claim and official misconduct.
The Miami Herald (http://hrld.us/2msaVGu ) reports the highway patrol fired Casillas in January.
According to prosecutors, Casillas wrote a bogus report for 51-year-old dentist Jesus Del Valle weeks after the June 2015 crash. The file was used to for an insurance claim for a damaged SUV.
Defense attorney C. Michael Cornely denies his client did anything wrong.
Del Valle was also arrested. Records don't list a lawyer for him.
An arrest report says Del Valle sideswiped a roadside landscaping crew, injuring Yoel. Detectives broke the case when they traced parts ordered for the SUV.
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Information from: The Miami Herald, http://www.herald.com
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