Owner of Pittsburgh tow truck service will serve house arrest after pleading guilty to predatory practices

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LOCAL NEWS
Owner of Pittsburgh tow truck service will serve house arrest after pleading guilty to predatory practices

By Andy Sheehan
March 28, 2025 / 6:25 PM EDT / CBS Pittsburgh

A year and a half after a local tow truck operator was caught charging as much as $11,000 per tow, he's now entering into a plea deal to avoid going to jail.

Facing 151 counts of fraud and theft by deception, Vince Fannick headed into District Judge James Hanley's courtroom, waiving his hearing and agreeing to make some restitution to victims while also pleading guilty to some charges. … "I feel like they stole my car," one victim said. "I just want my car back."

The plea bargain comes a year and a half after prosecutors deemed Fannick's practices as predatory, charging 36 victims anywhere between $9,000 and $11,000 to tow their cars short distances while holding the vehicles hostage until he was paid. … In each case, Fannick would not only charge for the tow, but he also charged thousands more in phantom recoveries, gate, and administrative fees, alleged services that prosecutors said were never performed.

Rather than fight the charges, Fannick waived his hearing and will plead guilty to some counts when he is formally arraigned in May. County detectives and members of the Attorney General's office would not reveal details of the plea, but sources tell KDKA he'll be on house arrest and need to make restitution to the victims.

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