Montco Tow Truck Owner Accused of Fraud After Towing Vehicle from Crash in Warrington

Tony Di Domizio | North Penn Now•

Vlad Andrei Ungvari, 31, of Hatboro.

A Hatboro man who owns a towing company was charged Thursday with insurance fraud for allegedly overinflating a towing bill by $1,380 related to a crash in Warrington Township earlier this year, according to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.

Vlad Andrei Ungvari, 31, was arrested and charged with filing a false insurance claim, unlawful use of a computer, criminal use of a communication facility, and theft by deception, police said. Ungvari is free on $100,000 unsecured bail.

An investigation into Ungvari’s alleged criminal behavior began in April when the district attorney received an insurance fraud referral from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Insurance Fraud Section. Traveler’s Insurance had contacted the department pertaining to a towing bill submitted by Glenn’s Towing in Warrington Township for a service call on Feb. 28 at Folly and Bristol roads, police said.

Warrington Township Police responded to the single-vehicle crash involving a silver Toyota Camry that struck a curb, left the roadway, hit a telephone pole, and rolled back onto the street. Police said the Camry sustained severe front-end damage and required a tow truck.

Glenn’s Towing, the duty-tow company for Warrington Township, sent a flatbed tow truck, and the operator winched the car onto the flatbed, picked up debris and left the scene. The Camry was towed to Glenn’s Towing storage yard at 366 Easton Road.

Police said Traveler’s Insurance deemed the car a total loss and had their salvage vendor retrieve the car. Glenn’s Towing provided an invoice for $1,865, according to charging documents.

Traveler’s Insurance’s claim manager, who reviewed the invoice and suspected questionable and likely inflated billing, requesting the Special Investigations Unit look into the situation, police said.

A detective with the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office investigated the findings, and spoke to witnesses, including the Camry owner and the tow truck operator, police said. Investigators concluded Ungvari provided a fraudulent invoice to Traveler’s Insurance with the intent that he would be paid in whole for services he never performed, police said.

Ungvari allegedly overbilled $1,380, including charging for two tow trucks, billing for wait time when there was no wait, and billing for oil dry and multiple cleanups when none was needed, police said.

"Consumers in need of a tow are often in emotional distress and, sometimes, physically at risk, due to location of their vehicle — that does not give any company the right to take advantage of someone in a pinch,” Attorney General Michelle Henry said. "Our criminal investigation unit, as well as our Bureau of Consumer Protection, have dealt with predatory tow fee matters, and are committed to standing up for consumers forced to overpay.”