A Pearson airport limo driver was given a $60 tip for a luxury $310 ride to the U.S. border that led to the arrest of his fare -- a fugitive sought for a whopping $125-million fraud in California.

Christopher Warren, 26, touched down at Pearson on Wednesday after fleeing the U.S. a week ago on a private jet he chartered for $250,000 to travel from Las Vegas to Mexico, Lebanon, Ireland and then Canada.

"He is believed to be a big player," Chief Kevin Corsaro, of U.S. Customs Border Patrol, said of the director of Loomis Wealth Solutions. "He told us he was going to a hotel and then to Buffalo airport."

Corsaro said officers allegedly found $88,000 hidden in the suspect's shoes, four 31-gram pieces of pure platinum worth about $1,250 each, and $1.25 million in Swiss Bank Certificates showing ownership of pure gold.

OBTAINED BY FRAUD

"He presented a genuine passport that we believe was obtained by fraud," Corsaro said. "We knew he was using other documents to travel."

Corsaro said the suspect was escorted yesterday by U.S. Marshals from Buffalo to Sacramento to face a slew of offences relating to the multi-million-dollar fraud scheme.

U.S. Customs Border Patrol director James Engleman said the arrest stemmed from more name queries being conducted at land border crossings.

"It further illustrates our ability to intercept criminals who obtain and use counterfeit documents or legitimate documents obtained by fraud," Engleman said.

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service accuses Warren and others of defrauding investors and mortgage companies of $125 million since 2006.

Also charged with conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud are Garret Griffith Gililland III, 27, who has since fled the U.S., and Scott Edward Cavell, 25.


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