Missouri Tow Owner Gets 153 Months for Title Fraud

Signage identifies Affordable Towing, the Missouri towing company whose owner was sentenced to 153 months in federal prison for a scheme involving forged signatures and titles to stolen vehicles.

A Missouri towing company owner has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for using forged signatures to obtain titles to stolen vehicles and sell them for millions of dollars.

Dennis Arthur Cleveland, 76, owner of Affordable Towing, was sentenced Oct. 6 by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough in Springfield. Cleveland pleaded guilty in December 2025 to mail fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri, Cleveland directed employees to submit fraudulent paperwork to obtain mechanic’s liens and titles from the Missouri Department of Revenue. The documents falsely claimed vehicle owners had authorized the work, and investigators confirmed the signatures were forged.

Every vehicle involved had been reported stolen. Vehicles receiving titles were sold through a used-car dealership, while others were sent to a scrapyard. Prosecutors estimated Cleveland’s scheme generated several million dollars.

Cleveland received 153 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $400,000 in fines, $37,049 in restitution and $37,049 in forfeiture.

Source: https://theautowire.com/