By Associated Press - Wednesday, March 1, 2017

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 (https://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, https://www.herald.com

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