PITTSBURGH — Vincent G. Fannick, 57, owner of Vince’s Towing in Pittsburgh, pleaded guilty to multiple felony charges for inflating towing fees on short trips.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General described Fannick’s practices as “predatory,” with some motorists and insurance companies charged between $9,460 and $13,105 for brief tows. In one case, a vehicle was towed one-third of a mile for $9,805.
Investigators began examining Fannick in 2023 after a driver reported their insurance company was billed $11,390 for a tow they never requested. Authorities found a repeated pattern of hidden fees and inflated invoices targeting unsuspecting customers.
Fannick pleaded guilty to felony theft by deception, felony insurance fraud, and misdemeanor execution of documents by deception. An Allegheny County Court judge ordered him to pay $379,279 to avoid jail and barred him from the towing industry.
He will serve five years of probation, including six months of house arrest, provided he pays full restitution within 30 days. Attorney General Dave Sunday stated, “This defendant preyed on motorists by hiding fees and inflating prices, leaving them and insurers with enormous bills.”
Additionally, Fannick must participate in a public service announcement for the Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority to educate the public about predatory towing practices.
