18 minute read
Adventures of A.T
Towman Unknowingly Hauls Stolen SUV
A tow truck driver apparently thought nothing was out of the ordinary when he was asked to haul an SUV nearly 70 miles from a Santa Clara, Calif., amusement park to Vallejo.
That was before he learned the 2014 Mercedes GLK 250 he had was stolen and instead delivered it to Hercules police.
Officers met with the tower in Hercules, according to a police report. He told officers he had been dispatched from Mountain View to the Great America amusement park in Santa Clara, where he met two men who had the vehicle and requested for it to be towed to a gas station in Vallejo.
Neither of the men provided identifying information, aside from a motor-club card. The driver headed north and was met at the Vallejo gas station by several people who unloaded items from the SUV.
It was then that the tower’s dispatch informed him the Mercedes was stolen and told him not to leave it in Vallejo. So he drove away and ended up in Hercules, where he met with police.
Hercules police recovered the Mercedes and moved it to a local tow yard, as requested by Santa Clara police.
Source: eastbaytimes.com.
Discrimination Suit Dismissed
A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed against Delaware State Police by a woman who runs a towing company.
Katharine Morris of First State Towing claimed in the lawsuit that state officials unlawfully excluded her in selecting companies for towing assignments, favoring male-owned businesses instead.
According to the lawsuit, First State Towing became an approved tower in 2001 and was assigned an area covered by Delaware State Police
Troop 6 in Wilmington. But Morris claimed her company has had difficulty since then competing with other male-owned companies for additional territories and assignments.
The judge said the lawsuit, which involved purported harms dating back more than a decade, was filed too late.
Source: washingtontimes.com.
Suspension Protocol Not Followed
Protocol is not being followed with the city’s towing ordinance, East Chicago, Ind., City Council President Juda S. Park claims.
“The ordinance reads that before any tow company can be suspended by the chief of police, he must come before this council and show cause, and that is not being done,” Parks said.
He said several other towing companies have been suspended in the past without council approval and later reinstated.
He said S&S Towing in East Chicago has been taken off the towing list for several months and he does not know why this was done.
“There needs to be some kind of dialogue between S&S Towing and the city,” Parks said.
Parks said the suspension of S&S Towing occurred while Mark Becker was police chief; he resigned in March. Lt. Frank Smith later was appointed the new police chief.
Although Smith was not involved in the suspension process, Parks said he planned to call Smith in an attempt to work with him to avoid any future violations of the ordinance.
Source: nwitimes.com.
Repo Agent Fund Raises Nearly $10K
The Recovery Agents Benefit Fund raised nearly $10,000 at the North American Repossessors Summit in Dallas, Texas, in the spring. The fund is for repossessors and their families who have fallen on exceptionally hard times due to debilitating injury, illness or death.
Proceeds from an auction resulted in just over $8,600 being donated to the fund. Additional funds were generated from six NASCAR tickets donated by Dynamic Towing Equipment and Manufacturing, as well as sales of raffle tickets for a Dynamic 601 Slide-In unit to be raffled off at the American Towman Exposition in Baltimore in November. All in all, a total of $9,605 was raised for the fund at the NARS event.
To date, nearly 60 families have been assisted by the fund and more than $279,000 has been disbursed to these individuals and families.
Source: blog.cucollector.com.
Guilty Plea in Tow Fixing
Vernita Greenfield, a former D.C. government employee, pleaded guilty in a bribery scheme with a local towing company. Greenfield pled guilty to a federal charge alleging that she accepted more than $35,000 in bribes in exchange for “giving favorable treatment to a towing company,” according to a Department of Justice statement.
Arrested by the FBI in November, she faces a maximum of 15 years in prison and financial penalties. Most likely she will get 24 to 30 months in prison and a fine between $10,000 and $95,000, the statement said.
Sentencing will take place July 19.
Source: patch.com.
Pro-Trump Towman Refuses Tow
A pro-Donald Trump tower refused to help a legally disabled customer stranded on the interstate in Asheville, N.C., because she supports Bernie Sanders.
Ken Shupe of Shupee Max Towing in Traveler’s Rest, S.C., believes Sanders supporters are socialists, and said he’s had problems with two customers over the last six months who supported him.
Source: local21news.com.
Towman Finds Toddler in Car
A toddler was found safe after spending the night cold and alone in a car that was towed after a traffic stop in Fort Totten, N.D.
Towman Cliff Reeves was called out to tow a car around 2 a.m. Reeves said he and police glanced in the car and saw nothing before taking it away. But he said the front seat was reclined far back, blocking sight of the back seat.
Around 10 a.m., Reeves’ son went out to unhook the car from the wrecker and noticed a small hand in the back seat. He ran and got Reeves, who opened the car and found the little girl.
Reeves then called police, brought the girl inside, cleaned her up and gave her food. Social Services then came and took the girl into custody.
Source: inforum.com.
Former Cop, Tower Sentenced
Bobby Carrillo, a former King City, Calif., police sergeant and Brian Miller, owner of Miller’s Towing, were sentenced for their roles in a kickback scheme.
Carrillo was sentenced to two years in state prison with execution of sentence suspended for three years, was placed on probation for three years and received 365 days in county jail.
Miller was sentenced to three years probation on condition he serve 150 days in the county jail.
Prosecutors said Miller’s Towing received more than 87 percent of the cars seized by Carrillo. During the scheme, more than 200 vehicles were impounded.
Source: patch.com.
Florida Towman Threatened by Deputy
An off-duty Orange County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office deputy was caught on cellphone video yelling at a Universal
Towing and Recovery tower and flashing her badge as he tried towing her pickup. The pickup was blocking a sidewalk at the Starlight Ranch Retirement Community.
In the video, Deputy Tracy Weiss was in plain clothes and is heard screaming at the tower, “You’re illegally stealing my truck! I am a cop! You’re going to (expletive) jail for stealing my car!”
The tower said the homeowner association manager had asked him to tow Weiss’ truck as it was illegally blocking a sidewalk often used by people in wheelchairs. Weiss ended up paying him the $125 fee to get her truck back.
Source: wfla.com.
15 Years in Tower’s Death
Trent Sheldon has been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison in the death of popular towman Jason Schultz who was struck while pulling a car from a ditch in St. Clair County, Mich., in January.
Police say Sheldon drove on the road’s shoulder and struck Schultz. The 18-year-old admitted his role in the crash as well as consuming marijuana beforehand.
Sheldon’s bond was revoked recently after officials said Sheldon violated conditions of his release by testing positive for marijuana.
Source: michigansthumb.com.
Anti-DUI Tow Ordinance
Pasco County (Fla.) commissioners unanimously approved a new ordinance that effectively prohibits wreckers from patrolling and initiating tows in the parking lots of any bars or restaurants that serve alcohol, so patrons don’t have to fear getting towed if they’ve had too many drinks to drive safely.
Business owners could still have a specific problem vehicle towed away upon request, but wrecker companies could not remove a vehicle without written permission from an establishment that serves alcohol between the hours of 9 p.m. and 11:59 a.m.
Source: wtsp.com.
Towman Unknowingly Hauls Stolen SUV
A tow truck driver apparently thought nothing was out of the ordinary when he was asked to haul an SUV nearly 70 miles from a Santa Clara, Calif., amusement park to Vallejo.
That was before he learned the 2014 Mercedes GLK 250 he had was stolen and instead delivered it to Hercules police.
Officers met with the tower in Hercules, according to a police report. He told officers he had been dispatched from Mountain View to the Great America amusement park in Santa Clara, where he met two men who had the vehicle and requested for it to be towed to a gas station in Vallejo.
Neither of the men provided identifying information, aside from a motor-club card. The driver headed north and was met at the Vallejo gas
station by several people who unloaded items from the SUV.
It was then that the tower’s dispatch informed him the Mercedes was stolen and told him not to leave it in Vallejo. So he drove away and ended up in Hercules, where he met with police.
Hercules police recovered the Mercedes and moved it to a local tow yard, as requested by Santa Clara police.
Source: eastbaytimes.com.
Discrimination Suit Dismissed
A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed against Delaware State Police by a woman who runs a towing company
Katharine Morris of First State Towing claimed in the lawsuit that state officials unlawfully excluded her in selecting companies for towing assignments, favoring maleowned businesses instead.
According to the lawsuit, First State Towing became an approved tower in 2001 and was assigned an area covered by Delaware State Police Troop 6 in Wilmington. But Morris claimed her company has had difficulty since then competing with other male-owned companies for additional territories and assignments.
The judge said the lawsuit, which involved purported harms dating back more than a decade, was filed too late.
Source: washingtontimes.com.
Suspension Protocol Not Followed
Protocol is not being followed with the city’s towing ordinance, East Chicago, Ind., City Council President Juda S. Park claims.
“The ordinance reads that before any tow company can be suspended by the chief of police, he must come before this council and show cause, and that is not being done,” Parks said.
He said several other towing companies have been suspended in the past without council approval and later reinstated.
He said S&S Towing in East Chicago has been taken off the towing list for several months and he does not know why this was done.
“There needs to be some kind of dialogue between S&S Towing and the city,” Parks said.
Parks said the suspension of S&S Towing occurred while Mark Becker was police chief; he resigned in March. Lt. Frank Smith later was appointed the new police chief.
Although Smith was not involved in the suspension process, Parks said he planned to call Smith in an attempt to work with him to avoid any future violations of the ordinance.
Source: nwitimes.com.
Repo Agent Fund Raises Nearly $10K
The Recovery Agents Benefit Fund raised nearly $10,000 at the North American Repossessors Summit in Dallas, Texas, in the spring. The fund is for repossessors and their families who have fallen on exceptionally hard times due to debilitating injury, illness or death.
Proceeds from an auction resulted in just over $8,600 being donated to the fund. Additional funds were generated from six NASCAR tickets donated by Dynamic Towing Equipment and Manufacturing, as well as sales of raffle tickets for a Dynamic 601 Slide-In unit to be raffled off at the American Towman Exposition in Baltimore in November. All in all, a total of $9,605 was raised for the fund at the NARS event.
To date, nearly 60 families have been assisted by the fund and more than $279,000 has been disbursed to these individuals and families.
Source: blog.cucollector.com.
Guilty Plea in Tow Fixing
Vernita Greenfield, a former D.C. government employee, pleaded guilty in a bribery scheme with a local towing company. Greenfield pled guilty to a federal charge alleging that she accepted more than
$35,000 in bribes in exchange for “giving favorable treatment to a towing company,” according to a Department of Justice statement.
Arrested by the FBI in November, she faces a maximum of 15 years in prison and financial penalties. Most likely she will get 24 to 30 months in prison and a fine between $10,000 and $95,000, the statement said.
Sentencing will take place July 19.
Source: patch.com.
Pro-Trump Towman Refuses Tow
A pro-Donald Trump tower refused to help a legally disabled customer stranded on the interstate in Asheville, N.C., because she supports Bernie Sanders.
Ken Shupe of Shupee Max Towing in Traveler’s Rest, S.C., believes Sanders supporters are socialists, and said he’s had problems with two customers over the last six months who supported him.
Source: local21news.com.
Towman Finds Toddler in Car
A toddler was found safe after spending the night cold and alone in a car that was towed after a traffic stop in Fort Totten, N.D.
Towman Cliff Reeves was called out to tow a car around 2 a.m. Reeves said he and police glanced in the car and saw nothing before taking it away. But he said the front seat was reclined far back, blocking sight of the back seat.
Around 10 a.m., Reeves’ son went out to unhook the car from the wrecker and noticed a small hand in the back seat. He ran and got Reeves, who opened the car and found the little girl.
Reeves then called police, brought the girl inside, cleaned her up and gave her food. Social Services then came and took the girl into custody.
Source: inforum.com.
Former Cop, Tower Sentenced
Bobby Carrillo, a former King City, Calif., police sergeant and Brian Miller, owner of Miller’s Towing, were sentenced for their roles in a kickback scheme.
Carrillo was sentenced to two years in state prison with execution of sentence suspended for three years, was placed on probation for three years and received 365 days in county jail.
Miller was sentenced to three years probation on condition he serve 150 days in the county jail.
Prosecutors said Miller’s Towing received more than 87 percent of the cars seized by Carrillo. During the scheme, more than 200 vehicles were impounded.
Source: patch.com.
Towman Unknowingly Hauls Stolen SUV
A tow truck driver apparently thought nothing was out of the ordinary when he was asked to haul an SUV nearly 70 miles from a Santa Clara, Calif., amusement park to Vallejo.
That was before he learned the 2014 Mercedes GLK 250 he had was stolen and instead delivered it to Hercules police.
Officers met with the tower in Hercules, according to a police report. He told officers he had been dispatched from Mountain View to the Great America amusement park in Santa Clara, where he met two men who had the vehicle and requested for it to be towed to a gas station in Vallejo.
Neither of the men provided identifying information, aside from a motor-club card. The driver headed north and was met at the Vallejo gas station by several people who unloaded items from the SUV.
It was then that the tower’s dispatch informed him the Mercedes was stolen and told him not to leave it in Vallejo. So he drove away and ended up in Hercules, where he met with police.
Hercules police recovered the Mercedes and moved it to a local tow yard, as requested by Santa Clara police.
Source: eastbaytimes.com.
Discrimination Suit Dismissed
A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed against Delaware State Police by a woman who runs a towing company
Katharine Morris of First State Towing claimed in the lawsuit that state officials unlawfully excluded her in selecting companies for towing assignments, favoring male-owned businesses instead.
According to the lawsuit, First State Towing became an approved tower in 2001 and was assigned an area covered by Delaware State
Police Troop 6 in Wilmington. But Morris claimed her company has had difficulty since then competing with other male-owned companies for additional territories and assignments.
The judge said the lawsuit, which involved purported harms dating back more than a decade, was filed too late.
Source: washingtontimes.com.
Suspension Protocol Not Followed
Protocol is not being followed with the city’s towing ordinance, East Chicago, Ind., City Council President Juda S. Park claims.
“The ordinance reads that before any tow company can be suspended by the chief of police, he must come before this council and show cause, and that is not being done,” Parks said.
He said several other towing companies have been suspended in the past without council approval and later reinstated.
He said S&S Towing in East Chicago has been taken off the towing list for several months and he does not know why this was done.
“There needs to be some kind of dialogue between S&S Towing and the city,” Parks said.
Parks said the suspension of S&S Towing occurred while Mark Becker was police chief; he resigned in March. Lt. Frank Smith later was appointed the new police chief.
Although Smith was not involved in the suspension process, Parks said he planned to call Smith in an attempt to work with him to avoid any future violations of the ordinance.
Source: nwitimes.com.
Repo Agent Fund Raises Nearly $10K
The Recovery Agents Benefit Fund raised nearly $10,000 at the North American Repossessors Summit in Dallas, Texas, in the spring. The fund is for repossessors and their families who have fallen on exceptionally hard times due to debilitating injury, illness or death.
Proceeds from an auction resulted in just over $8,600 being donated to the fund. Additional funds were generated from six NASCAR tickets donated by Dynamic Towing Equipment and Manufacturing, as well as sales of raffle tickets for a Dynamic 601 Slide-In unit to be raffled off at the American Towman Exposition in Baltimore in November. All in all, a total of $9,605 was raised for the fund at the NARS event.
To date, nearly 60 families have been assisted by the fund and more than $279,000 has been disbursed to these individuals and families.
Source: blog.cucollector.com.
Guilty Plea in Tow Fixing
Vernita Greenfield, a former D.C. government employee, pleaded guilty in a bribery scheme with a local towing company. Greenfield pled guilty to a federal charge alleging that she accepted more than $35,000 in bribes in exchange for “giving favorable treatment to a towing company,” according to a Department of Justice statement.
Arrested by the FBI in November, she faces a maximum of 15 years in prison and financial penalties. Most likely she will get 24 to 30 months in prison and a fine between $10,000 and $95,000, the statement said.
Sentencing will take place July 19.
Source: patch.com.
Former Cop, Tower Sentenced
Bobby Carrillo, a former King City, Calif., police sergeant and Brian Miller, owner of Miller’s Towing, were sentenced for their roles in a kickback scheme.
Carrillo was sentenced to two years in state prison with execution of sentence suspended for three years, was placed on probation for three years and received 365 days in county jail.
Miller was sentenced to three years probation on condition he serve 150 days in the county jail.
Prosecutors said Miller’s Towing received more than 87 percent of the cars seized by Carrillo. During the scheme, more than 200 vehicles were impounded.
