Pittsburgh Tow Truck Driver Owes $379K In Restitution To Defrauded Customers

PITTSBURGH, PA — The owner of a Strip District towing company has pleaded guilty to felony charges by engaging in deceptive practices and charging bogus "accident services" fees when towing someone.

Attorney General Dave Sunday has announced that Vincent Fannick, 57, owner of Vincent's Towing on Penn Avenue, has been ordered to pay $379,279 in restitution with 30 days or he will be jailed. A judge also has prohibited him from working in the towing industry.

The ban was made after Fannick admitted to engaging in predatory towing practices and pleaded guilty to felony theft by deception and insurance fraud and misdemeanor execution of document by deception.

In addition to paying restitution and being banned from towing, Fannick wills apend five years on prohibition. The first six months will be under house arrest.

“This defendant preyed on motorists in a pinch by hiding fees and inflating prices, leaving them and their insurance carriers with enormous bills to retrieve back their vehicles,” Attorney General Dave Sunday said in a statement.

“I commend our Insurance Fraud Section and law enforcement partners for reaching a resolution that gives the defendant two options — pay back what he took or go to prison.”

Investigators uncovered a pattern of Fannick charging consumers’ insurance companies with exorbitant tow costs by, initially, not revealing prices on invoices, then charging “accident services” fees.

Fannick is required to participate in a public service announcement for the Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority about predatory towing.

Investigators learned of the crimes in 2023, when a consumer reported their insurance company was charged $11,390 by Vince’s Towing — for a short-trip tow the vehicle owner did not even request. Of that total, $4,250 was designated as an “accident services” fee.

Law enforcement learned other consumers that were subjected to the same scam. Some vehicle owners’ insurance companies were charged between$9,460 and $13,105 for single, short-trip tows. In one case, Fannick charged $9,805 for towing a vehicle one-third of a mile.

Pennsylvania officials have been amping up efforts to educate consumers about predatory tow companies. The Pennsylvania Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority has a public awareness campaign based at www.knowyourtow.org.