JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — An owner of two tow companies was arrested for fee fraud after deputies recieved multiple complaints of overbilling, says the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO).
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According to JSO, from December to February, they received several complaints that 38-year-old Mohamed Bassam’s companies were charging for additional services he did not provide. He owns King Towing, Storage LLC, and Safe Harbor Towing LLC. JSO launched an investigation into Bassam’s record-keeping.
JSO says Wrecker Regulation Unit detectives asked Bassam to meet several times to review records but he would always have an excuse. The investigation showed that Bassam charged every vehicle owner an administrative fee for sending a lien notice, in which he only sent out lien notices on two cars in the past year.
Bassam allegedly collected $5,300 in fees for a service he never completed. Last week, detectives arrested him for violating state statutes ‘Scheme to Defraud’ and ‘Liens for Recovery, Towing or Stowing Vehicles’.
According to Florida law, tow companies are required to retain records related to all vehicles or vessels recovered, towed, stored, or released for at least 3 years.
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