The Racket
~ Chicago’s Towing And Booting Program Is Broken – WBEZ
~ Chicago ‘tow-and-sell’ operation flips 50K cars, buries drivers in debt – Illinois Policy
~ Putting The Brakes On Illinois’ Towing Troubles? – CBS Chicago
Wrongfully Towed in Chicago – Videos
~ Disabled Woman Suing City For Towing Away Van Wrongly Declared Abandoned – YouTube
~ Disabled Woman’s $15,000 Van Wrongly Declared Abandoned, Sold For Scrap; ‘It’s Just Very Infuriating’ – CBS Chicago – VIDEO
~ Woman says CPD towed her car by mistake and now she must pay to get it back – VIDEO
Wrongfully Towed in Chicago – News Articles
- Disabled Woman’s $15,000 Van Wrongly Declared Abandoned, Sold For Scrap; ‘It’s Just Very Infuriating’ – CBS Chicago
- Disabled Woman To Sue City For Wrongly Towing Van As Abandoned – CBS Chicago
- Lawsuit Challenges Chicago Towing Racket After City Destroyed Disabled Woman’s Van – Reason.com
- Loop Operations accused of wrongfully towing, purchasing vehicle – Cook County Record
- Towing company wrongly hauled away man’s car, but he can’t make the tow biz pay his legal bills- Appeals panel – Cook County
- Woman says CPD towed her car by mistake and now she must pay to get it back – WGN-TV
- Woman Sues Towing Company For Wrongly Seizing Her Car – CBS Chicago
Wrongfully Towed in Other Cities – Videos
~ Cars towed after obeying Hartford’s parking ban – YouTube
~ Class action lawsuit claims illegal towing allowed in Detroit, Hamtramck – YouTube
~ Drivers Claim Cars Illegally Towed While Parked Outside Wilmington Hotel – YouTube
~ Hillsdale man says city wrongfully towed his car; now they can’t find it – YouTube
~ Wrongfully towed- How to get your money back – YouTube
~ Man claims company illegally towed vehicle, photo evidence Richmond, – YouTube
~ Man says car was wrongly towed, faces steep towing charges – YouTube
~ Southern California Residents Claim City Wrongfully Towed Their Cars – video Dailymotion
Wrongfully Towed in Other Cities – News Articles
- Man says city wrongfully towed his car, made him pay to get it back – News Headlines – kmov.com
- N.Y. woman hit with $475 in fines after car wrongfully towed to illegal spot, report says – CBS News
- Venice Residents Claim City Wrongfully Towed Their Cars Without Fair Warning – KTLA
- Woman Hit With Multiple Tickets After City Moves Car For Bike Rack – CBS New York
Excessive Fees – Videos
~ Just What Can Be Done To Stop Towing Companies From Charging Exorbitant Fees? – CBS Chicago – VIDEO
~ Canadian Hauling Company Socked With Towing Bill Of Over $18,000 In Chicago, And Not For First Time – CBS Chicago – VIDEO
~ Lawsuit filed over ‘excessive’ towing storage fees – YouTube
Excessive Fees – News Articles
- Just What Can Be Done To Stop Towing Companies From Charging Exorbitant Fees? – CBS Chicago
- Canadian Hauling Company Socked With Towing Bill Of Over $18,000 In Chicago, And Not For First Time – CBS Chicago
“Towing Without Telling” – Videos
~ Police Recovered His Stolen Car, But Never Told Him, Leaving Him With $685 In Fees – YouTube
~ Towing Without Telling- City Accused Of Towing Vehicles Without Proper Warning, And Now Taxpayers Could Be On The Hook For Millions – CBS2 Chicago – VIDEO
~ Thousands Of Chicagoans Wake Up To Missing Cars – CBS Chicago – VIDEO
~ ‘Towing Without Telling’ Is Now Subject Of Major Lawsuit – YouTube
“Towing Without Telling” – News Articles
- City accused of ‘towing without telling’ – Chicago Sun-Times
- Lawsuit accusing city of ‘towing without telling’ granted class-action status – Chicago Sun-Times
- Thousands Of Chicagoans Wake Up To Missing Cars – CBS Chicago
Lost Vehicles
~ Her Car Has Been Missing For Six Months – YouTube
Wrecking Cars While Towing
~ Illegal towing in Chicago during covid19 pandemic by Redmons towing – YouTube
~ This is how City Of Chicago tow and impound your cars – YouTube
Tow and Sell
~ Federal Lawsuit Challenges City of Chicago Controversial Towing Program – NBC Chicago – Video
Towing Children in Chicago – Videos
~ Police- Tow Truck Driver Tows Car With Child Inside, Abandons Him Nearby – NBC Chicago – VIDEO
~ Tow Truck Driver Pulls Car Away, With Kids Inside – YouTube
~ Tow Truck Driver Tows Car With Child With Down Syndrome Inside – CBS Chicago – VIDEO
~ Witnesses- Tow Truck Operator Took Vehicle From Chatham Parking Lot With Child Inside – NBC Chicago – VIDEO
Towing Children in Other Cities – Videos
~ Car Gets Towed WITH A CHILD INSIDE!!! MOM & TOW TRUCK DRIVER ARRESTED!!! – YouTube
~ Car towed from Houston apartment complex with child inside – YouTube
~ Family Says Car Towed In Allston With Young Children Inside – CBS Boston – VIDEO
~ TOW TRUCK GRABS CAR WITH KIDS INSIDE – YouTube
~ Woman’s car towed, with dog inside – YouTube
Towing Children in Chicago – News Articles
- Witnesses- Tow Truck Operator Took Vehicle From Chatham Parking Lot With Child Inside – NBC Chicago
- Police- Tow Truck Driver Tows Car With Child Inside, Abandons Him Nearby – NBC Chicago
- Tow Truck Driver Tows Car With Child With Down Syndrome Inside – CBS Chicago
Towing Children in Other Cities – News Articles
- Arlington Tow Truck Driver Hooks Car With Children Inside – NBC4 Washington
- Family Says Car Towed In Allston With Young Children Inside – CBS Boston
- SUV towed away with 1-year-old NYC boy still inside – New York Daily News
Tow Trucks Running Red Lights
~ Tow Truck Drivers Enforcing Winter Parking Bans Seen Plowing Through Red Lights – YouTube
~ 2 Officers Among 8 Hurt After Tow Truck Driver Runs Red Light In South LA – YouTube
~ Tow truck driver runs red light and t-bones SUV, killing passenger in Carmel Valley – YouTube
Predatory Towing in Chicago – Videos
~ 2 Investigators- Tow Truck Drivers Follow Accident Victim To Hospital – YouTube
~ Taken By Tow Trucks; Legal Loophole Makes Chicago Drivers Easy Targets – YouTube
~ Towing Company Rips Off Driver – YouTube
Predatory Towing in Other Cities – Videos
~ Business owner says tow company took trailer with $40K in frozen chicken – YouTube
~ CBS4 Investigates What Critics Call ‘Predatory Towing’ From Apartment Parking Lots – YouTube
~ KDKA Investigates- Attorney Challenging Towing Practices – YouTube
~ Predatory towing gets Evergreen five year license revocation – YouTube
~ Predatory towing plagues DC area – YouTube
Predatory Towing Scams in Chicago – News Articles
- 2 men accused of running fake towing operation, pretending to be with Chicago city workers – ABC7 Chicago
- Alleged Tow Truck Scam Holding Vehicles Hostage For Thousands Of Dollars In Chicago – CBS Chicago
- Business owner alleges theft after unsolicited tow company takes trailer with $40K in frozen chicken on Southwest Side – ABC7
- Rogue Tow Truck Drivers Hold Cars Hostage, Run Up Bills — And Chicago Could Have Ended It All Years Ago – CBS Chicago
- Shakedown- Tow Company Demands Cash From Motorist To Get Belongings – CBS Chicago
- Two charged in predatory towing scam released from custody – Chicago Sun-Times
Predatory Towing Scams in Other Cities- News Articles
- 7 HAULED TO JAIL IN TOWING SCHEME – Sun Sentinel
- BROTHERS PLEAD NO CONTEST TO ILLEGAL TOWING EPISODES – Sun Sentinel
- Caught in sting, East St. Louis tow truck driver gets 15-month sentence – Law and order – stltoday.com
- Exclusive- Lawsuit Filed Against NYC Towing Company Accused Of Deceiving Thousands Of Customers – CBS New York
- Four arrested in alleged tow-truck scam – Chron.com
- Five Infuriating Miami Beach Towing Stories – Miami New Times
- Predatory towing company still has its hooks in victims – FOX2 Detroit
- Towing Scams – Fraud Guides
Towing Scams – Videos
~ 2 men accused of running fake towing operation, pretending to be with Chicago city workers – ABC7 Chicago – VIDEO
~ Alleged Tow Truck Scam Holding Vehicles Hostage For Thousands Of Dollars In Chicago – CBS Chicago – VIDEO
~ Business owner says tow company took trailer with $40K in frozen chicken – YouTube
~ Chicago Towing Company Busted – YouTube
~ CHP- Illegal tow truck scam impacted 250 people, possibly more – YouTube
~ Exclusive- New York City Towing Company Accused Of Deceiving Drivers In Lawsuit – YouTube
Lincoln Towing Chicago – Videos
~ Court rules Lincoln Towing can stay in business for now – WGN-TV – VIDEO
~ Chicago Towing Company May Lose License After Hundreds of Unauthorized Tows – YouTube
~ Lincoln Towing back in business after judge reverses previous revocation order – YouTube
~ Lincoln Towing To Resume Operations, Working To Fix Licensing Issues – YouTube
~ Lincoln Towing’s license revoked by Illinois Commerce Commission – YouTube
~ State Revokes Lincoln Towing’s License – YouTube
Lincoln Towing Chicago – News Articles
- Chicago Towing Company May Lose License After Hundreds of Unauthorized Tows – CBS2
- Court rules Lincoln Towing can stay in business for now – WGN-TV
- Editorial- Keep a sharp lookout- Lincoln Towing will continue to prowl Chicago streets – Chicago Tribune
- Judge allows Lincoln Towing to operate while pursuing appeal – ABC7 Chicago
- Lincoln Towing- 8 months, 831 violations. – Chicago Tribune
- Lincoln Towing, Bane Of Many Chicago Drivers, Loses License – NPR
- Lincoln Towing – CBS Chicago
- Lincoln Towing In Hot Water for Unauthorized Towing – Rogers Park – Chicago – DNAinfo
- Lincoln Towing keeps license under Cook County judge’s ruling – Chicago Sun-Times
- Lincoln Towing – Neighborhood News – Chicago – DNAinfo
- Lincoln Towing claims ‘chaos,’ possible violence after getting the hook – WGN-TV
- Loathed by North Siders for decades, Lincoln Towing could lose license – Chicago Tribune
- The end of Lincoln Towing- Hated Chicago company rebrands during license fight – Chicago Sun-Times
- The Most Notorious Towing Company in Chicago—Maybe in America—Gets the Boot – WSJ
- The Protective Parking ‘Pirates’- Lincoln Towing adds corporate name to new sign as it awaits ruling on its fate. – Chicago Tribune
Towing Corruption in Chicago
- 2 Chicago cops took bribes to share crash report details with attorney referral service, charges allege – Chicago Tribune
- 6th Cop Charged in Towing Extortion Plot – NBC Chicago
- 7th Chicago police officer charged in towing scam – Chicago Tribune
- 8th Chicago officer Convicted in Tow-Truck Scam – NBC Chicago
- 10th Chicago Cop Charged In Federal Probe Of Tow Truck Scams – CBS Chicago
- 11th Chicago cop to be ensnared in FBI tow truck probe gets year in prison – Chicago Tribune
- Chicago Towing- Clout-heavy Firm Wins Bid…Again – HuffPost
- Chicago’s Towing And Booting Program Is Broken – WBEZ
- Clout-heavy contractor to extend 26-year grip on city towing business – Chicago Sun-Times
- Controversy Raised Over City’s Towing Contract – The Chicagoist
- DALEY PALS GET TOWING PLUM (1997) – Chicago Tribune
- Ex-Chicago police officer charged with corruption – Daily Herald
- Ex-Chicago police officer gets year in prison in towing scheme – The State Journal-Register – Springfield, IL
- Ex-cop sentenced for extorting tow truck drivers – Chicago Tribune
- FBI pays call on towing firm with Daley ties (2003) – Chicago Tribune
- Final former Chicago Police officer sentenced in Operation Tow Scam – Chicago Sun-Times
- New details laid out in bribery charges against two Chicago cops- ‘We can both have a great Christmas’ – Chicago Tribune
- Shady-Sounding Towing Company Lands City Contract, As It Has Since 1989 – The Chicagoist
- Towing Scandal Leads to Indictment of Chicago Cop – McHenry County Blog
- Vet Cop Requested Tow Truck Bribes- Feds – NBC Chicago
- Veteran cop charged in tow scam – Chicago Tribune
Towing Corruption in Other Cities
Chicago Area
- Feds charge 3 relatives of Harvey Mayor Eric Kellogg, trusted consultant in probe of extortion, bribery and more – Chicago Tribune
- Former chief of police, tow operator testify at Sheriff Buncich corruption trial – Chicago Tribune
- Harvey tow company owner pleads guilty to aiding shakedown of entrepreneur – Chicago Tribune
- Lake County chief pleads guilty to corruption charge – Chicago Tribune
- Lake County sheriff takes stand during public corruption trial – ABC7 Chicago
- Lake County sheriff, Portage mayor indicted on bribery charges – FOX32 Chicago
- Lake County tow operator charged alongside sheriff to plead guilty to corruption, tax evasion- documents – Chicago Tribune
- Lake sheriff, Portage mayor indicted on corruption charges – Chicago Tribune
- Portage mayor’s defense tries to block playing of undercover recordings – Chicago Tribune
- Portage Tow Truck Company Owner Pleads Guilty To Bribing Mayor James Snyder – CBS Chicago
- Prominent NW Indiana Officials Indicted on Public Corruption Charges – NBC Chicago
- Prosecutors- 6 accused of corruption in Chicago suburb – The Star
- Tow operator testifies about alleged bribe to Portage mayor – Chicago Tribune
- Trial for Lake County (Ind.) Sheriff John Buncich begins Monday – ABC7 Chicago
Australia
California
- Former Cop, Towing Operator Sentenced For King City Kickback Scheme – Watsonville, CA Patch
- OPP charge three veteran officers in tow truck scandal – The Bay Observer
- Riverside County sheriff’s deputies and tow company owner indicted in bribery scheme – Press Enterprise
- Riverside County sheriff’s lieutenant, sergeant and former deputy indicted in tow truck bribery scheme – Desert Sun
Baltimore
- 2 More Officers Face Jail Time In Towing Scheme – WBAL TV
- 17 Baltimore cops charged in kickback plot – UPI.com
- Baltimore officer pleads guilty in towing scheme – Baltimore Sun
- Coverage of city police towing, kickback scheme – Baltimore Sun
- Deputy charged with bribery, theft in scheme – WBAL TV
- More Police Officers Suspected In Corruption Scheme – CBS Baltimore
- Whistleblower Of Police Kickback Towing Scheme Speaks Out – CBS Baltimore
Florida
- Ex-Nassau County deputy charged in towing kickback scheme – News4Jax
- FBI Arrests Six in Pirate Towing Scam – Miami New Times
Detroit
- Culture of Corruption at City Hall – Detroit Legal News
- Ex-Detroit Police Chief Indicted On Conspiracy, Bribery Charges In Towing Scheme – CBS Detroit
Mexico
Ottawa
- Corruption in towing industry- three police officers arrested in Ontario – The State
- EDITORIAL- Cops, kickbacks and credibility – Ottawa Sun
- Ottawa police officer in alleged tow-truck kickback scheme charged with planning ATM heist – Ottawa Citizen
- Police announce arrests after probe into organized crime and violence in tow truck industry – MSN
- Police reveal links between organized crime and towing industry – CBC.ca
- ‘Shaken trust’- Inside an alleged tow-truck kickback scheme involving Ottawa police – Ottawa Citizen
- Tow truck corruption, kickback scheme bigger than just a few Ottawa cops, alleges whistleblower – SooToday.com
Lawsuits
- Chicago’s Vehicle Towing Program Is Unconstitutional, Class-Action Lawsuit Claims – WBEZ Chicago
- City’s tow-and-sell program is unconstitutional, lawsuit argues – Chicago Business
- Federal lawsuit challenges Chicago’s ‘tow and sell’ program – WGN-TV
- Federal Lawsuit Challenges City of Chicago Controversial Towing Program – NBC Chicago
- Lawsuit Challenges Chicago Towing Racket After City Destroyed Disabled Woman’s Van The lawsuit is the second filed this year challenging Chicago’s punitive and corrupt towing program. – Reason
- Predatory towing lawsuit filed against city of Chicago – Land Line
Podcasts
Reports
- Final Defendant Sentenced In Operation Tow Scam 15 Defendants Convicted And Sentenced – United States Department of Justice
- Former Chicago Police Officer Charged With Attempted Extortion Of Tow Truck Driver And Selling Guns To Felon – United States Department of Justice
- Former Chicago Police Officer Charged with Attempted Extortion of Tow Truck Driver and Selling Guns to Felon – FBI
- Former MDPD Police Officer, Former Public Service Aide, and Two Tow Truck Drivers Arrested in Illegal Bribery and Kickback Scheme – FBI
- MDPD PSA and Tow Truck Company Owner Charged in Illegal Bribery and Kickback Scheme – USAO-SDFL – Department of Justice
- Six Arrests in City of Miami Public Corruption-Kickback Case — FBI
- Six Arrests in City of Miami Public Corruption-Kickback Case – USAO-SDFL – Department of Justice
Songs
~ Steve Goodman’s Lincoln Park Pirates – YouTube
Towed Vehicles Search Chicago