Religious Tour Operator’s Accounts Frozen

A judge froze the bank accounts of a Huntington Beach religious tour operator this week, citing $1.3 million in missing customer payments. The action by San Diego County Superior Court Judge Robert O’Neill against Queen of Peace Pilgrimages Inc. follows a February audit by the state attorney general’s office. In a lawsuit filed Friday, the state accused the travel company and its owner, Peter K. Miller, of illegally using deposits of new clients to cover the travel costs of previous customers. State law requires that all customer funds be held in trust until the travel services are delivered. Queen of Peace specializes in travel packages to Catholic holy sites around the world. No consumers have been denied trips so far, but state officials say they took the action to protect consumers from potential losses.