TOW TRUCK OPERATOR ARRRAIGNED FOR ILLEGALLY TOWING AT LEAST 11 VEHICLES IN BREA STRIP MALL PARKING LOTS

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Case # 17NF1417

Date: June 12, 2017

TOW TRUCK OPERATOR ARRRAIGNED FOR ILLEGALLY TOWING AT LEAST 11 VEHICLES IN BREA STRIP MALL PARKING LOTS

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was arraigned today for illegally towing at least 11 vehicles from private property without proper permits or contracts.

Defendant	Charges	Maximum Sentence	Court Date
Jake Simonoff, 35, Brea	Charged on May 25, 2017, with the following counts: Felony Preparing False Documentary Evidence Misdemeanor (11) Towing a vehicle without consent of the property owner (8) Failing to provide mandatory rights to vehicle owners (4) Failing to provide written authorization of the tow to the vehicle owner	Five years and nine months in county jail Up to $27,500 fines Up to $12,476 in civil penalties to victims	Pre-trial Aug. 1, 2017, 8:00 a.m. Department N-3, North Justice Center, Fullerton

 Circumstances of the Case:

• At the time of the crimes, the defendant is accused of operating Trophy Transport & Towing Inc. (Trophy Towing) in Brea.
• Between July 25 and Sept. 18, 2016, Simonoff is accused of conducting at least 11 Private Property Impound (PPI) tows from the parking lots of several Brea strip mall businesses and restaurants without valid prior authorization.
• In September 2016, Orange County Auto Theft Task Force (OCATT) initiated an investigation after receiving complaints regarding illegal PPI tows by Trophy Towing.
• Simonoff is accused of placing “Customer Parking Only” signs in several parking lots without having proper contracts with the businesses.
• The defendant is further accused of failing to provide vehicle owners with written authorization or legal reasons for the tows, mandatory tow rates, payment options, and information on how to report illegal towing practices to police as required by law.
• In an effort to justify the illegal tows, Simonoff is accused of providing false documentary evidence to police.

OCATT is a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement agency charged with identifying, arresting, and prosecuting professional vehicle thieves. It consists of detectives and personnel from 12 Orange County agencies and police departments, including the California Highway Patrol, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutor: Senior Deputy District Attorney Dan Hess, Felony Charging.