By Shawn Henry 
The owner of a Pittsburgh towing company has been sentenced after investigators uncovered a pattern of extreme overcharging, including a case where a driver was billed more than $10,000 for a tow of less than half a mile.
According to the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office, 57-year-old Vincent G. Fannick, owner of Vince’s Towing, pleaded guilty to felony theft by deception, felony insurance fraud, and misdemeanor execution of documents by deception. Prosecutors say Fannick routinely issued “astronomical bills” for short tows, hiding fees and inflating prices after the work was already completed.
The investigation began in 2023 when a driver reported that their insurance company was charged $11,390 for a tow they never even requested. As investigators dug deeper, they found multiple cases involving similarly inflated costs. Several insurance companies were charged between $9,460 and $13,105 for single short-distance tows.
One of the most extreme examples involved a charge of $9,805 to tow a vehicle just one-third of a mile.
After reviewing the evidence, an Allegheny County Court judge ordered Fannick to pay $379,279 in restitution within 30 days to avoid jail time. His sentence includes five years of probation, with the first six months on house arrest, and a permanent prohibition from working in the towing industry.
Attorney General Dave Sunday said the scheme took advantage of stranded drivers and insurance providers. “This defendant preyed on motorists in a pinch by hiding fees and inflating prices, leaving them and their insurance carriers with enormous bills,” Sunday said.
As part of his sentencing, Fannick must also appear in a public service announcement for the Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority addressing predatory towing practices.
Kennedy Puckett