Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price Announces the Conviction of Oakland-based Towing Company That Illegally Towed Thousands of County Residents’ Vehicles
October 31, 2024
Oakland, CA—On Thursday, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price announced the conviction of former Oakland-based towing company Private Property Impound, Inc. (also known as PPI), Wayne Daniel Russo, Jr. (37), and Stephanie Marie Gipson (36). Earlier this week, Defendant PPI pled no contest and was sentenced for one count of felony tax evasion, and all three defendants pled no contest and were sentenced to one misdemeanor count of illegally towing vehicles from private properties.
As part of the plea deal and resolution, the defendants have agreed to pay nearly $500,000 to finance a restitution fund to repay victims whose cars they illegally towed. The defendants also agreed to pay $75,000 to cover the costs of hiring the professional claims administration firm Verita to contact potential victims and administer the restitution fund. In addition, as part of the plea deal, the defendants have collectively paid over $333,000 to the California Franchise Tax Board in back taxes, interest, and investigative costs, fully satisfying all alleged tax deficiencies for the years in question.
The case against PPI was prompted by a 2018 news report by the East Bay Express, which described PPI as “one of the worst offenders in the East Bay” for illegally towing cars. The District Attorney’s Office conducted a lengthy investigation and charged the case in 2020, but the case then sat largely inactive until 2023.
“I’m pleased that our reformed Consumer, Environmental, and Special Prosecution Unit was able to bring this complicated, long-running matter to a successful close,” said District Attorney Pamela Price. “Illegal towing disproportionately affects our community’s most vulnerable residents, for whom the family car can be a lifeline to attend work, get their kids to school, and seek medical care. The plea deal and restitution fund negotiated by my Office will put real money in the hands of those who need it most. In the coming weeks, we will be working with the claims administrator to create a formal claims form that will be mailed in three languages to 8,000 potential victims.”
In addition to the financial penalties, Wayne Daniel Russo, Jr., was sentenced to a 90-day County Jail sentence for his part in the illegal towing scheme, to be served on home detention with electronic monitoring so long as all outstanding amounts are paid into the restitution fund by December 4, 2024. For her part, Stephanie Marie Gipson also received a 90-day probationary sentence and was sentenced to perform 50 hours of community service.
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Contact: damedia@acgov.org
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office (DAO) is one of California’s largest prosecutors’ offices and is led by Alameda County’s first Black woman District Attorney Pamela Y. Price. Price brings her vision to this office to fairly administer justice in the pursuit of thriving, healthy, and safe communities for every person who steps foot in Alameda County, no matter their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, income, or zip code. Price has been recognized as one of the most progressive prosecutors through her forward-thinking, innovative strategies to interrupt cycles of violence and crime and bring change to a criminal justice system rooted in systemic racism. Follow Madam DA on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and @AlamedaCountyda on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.