Criminal warrants issued to owners of four Mobile tow companies (AL) "Updated 02.14.23"

[TowNews]

Criminal warrants were issued last week to the owners of four Mobile towing companies, the latest installment in the long-running dispute between the city’s wrecking businesses and local law enforcement.

 

In total, 28 warrants were issued Friday to four men for a combination of Insurance Fraud 1st and Insurance Fraud 2nd, according to the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office.

 

Chad Fountain, the owner of A+ Towing, was issued with warrants charging him with four counts of Insurance Fraud 1st and two counts of Insurance Fraud 2nd.

 

Danny Williams of Southport Towing was issued a warrant charging him with six counts of Insurance Fraud 1st, while the owner of Casher’s Wrecker Service, Wilbert Casher, is wanted on warrants charging him with six counts of Insurance Fraud 2nd.

 

Lastly, Alan Luther was issued a warrant charging him with 10 counts of Insurance Fraud 1st.

 

None of the four have handed themselves in to law enforcement, according to the MCSO jail log. Efforts to reach the four men were unsuccessful.

 

The city’s towing issues arose last summer after local law enforcement accused several towing companies of price gouging customers and charging them more than legally allowed in the city’s towing ordinance. Not long after announcing the probe into the industry, AL.com discovered that the Mobile Police Department impound lot was also overcharging customers for towing services and storage, and had been doing so since at least late 2015. Some in the towing industry claim the practice has been going on for more than a decade.

 

In response, MPD Chief Lawrence Battiste said the department would immediately change its internal practices, but assured the actions were not criminal.

 

Friday’s criminal warrants come months after the father and son owners of SOS Towing were indicted by a Mobile County grand jury. Gary Smith Jr. and Gary Smith Sr. have been facing charges since being arrested and charged by MPD in September.

 

The two men also had four tow trucks taken under controversial civil asset forfeiture laws. The trucks were ultimately returned after a Mobile circuit judge said the seizure was unlawful. The Mobile County District Attorney’s office appealed to the Alabama Supreme Court but ultimately dropped the civil case earlier this year.

 

The Smith men’s next court date in the criminal trial is set for July 14, according to Alabama court records.

 

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[GRUMPS The Towman]

GOOD!!!! This exact same investigation needs to take place in my neck of the woods. Slime balls like this do nothing but hurt the honest, hardworking guys in our industry

[Steve Catlett]

I’m glad they got caught now if the state really prosecutes them.  This is why the public hates towers.

[TowNews]

Trial of tow truck owner charged with fraud postponed

 

 

[TowNews]

Settlement reached in tow truck insurance fraud case

 

 

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[Vincent]

Civil asset seizure was ruled to have been illegal. A mobile county circuit court judge ordered the trucks returned. More recently, All criminal charges have been dropped. Appears to have been a vendetta from one of the senior members of the mobile police department.