A south suburban tow truck driver is accused of turning wrecks into quick cash, and not in the way insurers usually like. Illinois State Police say 36-year-old Saeed Mustafa was arrested this week on felony charges after allegedly selling multiple vehicles for scrap that had been reported stolen in Chicago and Indiana. He now faces six counts tied to the alleged sales.
According to NBC Chicago, state police were called on Feb. 12 after a motorist left a wrecked vehicle on the Bishop Ford Freeway near Beaubien Woods. When a private towing company arrived, the car had already vanished. Troopers say investigators tracked the missing vehicle to a local junk car business, and that Mustafa produced bogus paperwork claiming he had the authority to sell it. Investigators also say several of the vehicles he allegedly ran through the scrapyard pipeline had been reported stolen in both Chicago and Indiana.
How the Alleged Scheme Fits a Familiar Pattern
The accusations line up with a pattern authorities have seen before, where tow operators exploit crash scenes or parking lots to divert cars to scrapyards for metal or parts. As prior investigations and law-enforcement briefings have shown, those schemes often take advantage of blind spots in the scrap market that can make stolen vehicles tough to trace. Investigators have urged drivers to double-check tow truck credentials at the scene rather than assuming the first truck to show up is legit. ABC7 Chicago has covered similar probes, while state lawmakers have moved to tighten scrap-sale rules and limit the resale of stolen parts, according to WBBM Newsradio.
Charges and What They Mean
Mustafa faces six counts of conspiracy to receive, possess or sell a stolen motor vehicle, a Class 2 felony under Illinois law, per NBC Chicago. A Class 2 felony carries a determinate prison range of three to seven years, with the possibility of an extended term in some cases, according to 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-35. Authorities say Mustafa was taken into custody during a traffic stop along Interstate 94. Court dates were not immediately available.
For drivers who suspect their car was improperly towed or even sold off, law enforcement advises contacting local police and your insurance company as soon as possible and hanging on to any paperwork or photos from the scene. The Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Council tracks vehicle recoveries and prevention programs and offers guidance on how to report suspicious activity and work with investigators.
