Local News

Cop, Towing Company Owner Charged In Scam

Jim Athans, Owner Of Collision Towing, Was Exposed By 2 Investigators Last Year

CHICAGO (CBS) ― A Chicago police officer and a towing company owner were charged in an insurance fraud scheme on Thursday, after CBS 2 Investigator Pam Zekman exposed "The Accident Chasers."

Zekman first reported last year about Jim "Meatball" Athans and his company Collision Towing, located at 4216 W. Wrightwood Ave. in the 25th Police District on the Northwest Side. His company is one of many exposed by the CBS 2 Investigators for ripping off accident victims with exorbitant and fraudulent towing charges.

Athans, 39, of Wood Dale, was arrested Thursday and charged with mail fraud.

Chicago Police Officer Joseph A. Grillo, 45, was arrested Wednesday afternoon as he got off a plane at O'Hare International Airport, FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Robert Grant announced Thursday. He was also charged with mail fraud.

Zekman disclosed last year how police officers in the 25th District recommended Collision Towing to accident victims like Luis Diaz. He said Athans even impersonated a cop to get him to pay $1,800 in excessive and fraudulent towing fees.

"He said he was a police officer and if I did not pay the money to get the car that he was going to have my license suspended," Diaz said.

To prove it, Diaz said Athans pulled out his wallet. "He opened it up and there was a picture of him with credentials and a star," Diaz said. "And I saw it said 'detective.'"

Athans is not a police officer, and last year, CBS 2 asked Athans if he was impersonating a Chicago policeman to shake down car owners for thousands of dollars.

Athans also told CBS 2 last year that he was not overcharging people.

"I'm just a tow truck driver," he said last year. "That's all I'm doing."

A federal complaint filed Thursday showed just how tight Athans is with Chicago police officers. It described how two 25th District officers plotted with Athans to tow and destroy a car that one of them owned.

The FBI alleges that Athans agreed to tow the vehicle from behind the Grand Central Area Police Headquarters, at 5555 W. Grand Ave., on Feb. 18, 2007. The 1996 Volkswagen belonged to another Chicago Police officer, who was in on the scheme, the FBI said.

The officer who owned the car reported it stolen and received $3,900 from State Farm Insurance, while it was actually towed to a storage lot where the owner stripped it, the FBI said.

The mail fraud complaint also described wiretapped conversations in which Grillo instigated the scheme, telling Athans that one of their co-conspirators would "park some place and you'll take it."

According to the complaint, Athans later told Grillo "I'm gonna give it to this guy and...it's gonna disappear."

The affidavit said the car owner left Athans a $100 payment, but Athans also expected a big favor in return; help chasing rival tow truck companies away from accident scenes.

The complaint also described how Athans falsely reported that his tow truck was stolen in order to collect insurance money.

It was the same tow truck Athans was driving when Zekman confrontned him last year about Diaz and other clients.

Athans' towing tactics are obviously part of a much bigger federal investigation. The affidavit unsealed Thursday described more extensive wiretaps and FBI payments to compensate a tow truck company owner for his time, and use of his trucks and storage lot.

Both Athans and Grillo pleaded not guilty to mail fraud charges in court Thursday. Grillo was taken off active duty pending the outcome of the case.
The Chicago Police Internal Affairs Division is working with federal authorities in the investigation. Chicago Police say this is the largest investigation in which Internal Affairs has been involved since 2004.

In announcing the charges, Grant expressed disappointment in Grillo's conduct as a police officer.

"We hope that the charges announced today will reassure the public that those who are sworn to uphold the law will be held to the highest standards" he said.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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