North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein filed a lawsuit against a tow truck company for purposely targeting Black customers.
Stein is suing David Jewel Satterfield and his company, A1 Towing Solutions, Inc., which is based in Charlotte.
According to a press release from the North Carolina Department of Justice on Dec. 12, Satterfield allegedly targeted Black people by illegally booting and towing their trucks. The lawsuit was added to an ongoing lawsuit accusing the defendant of violating the state’s price gouging laws during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Satterfield reportedly towed and booted trucks that were delivering food, medical supplies and water during the pandemic and later forced the drivers to pay up to $4,400 in fees each to release the trucks.
“This defendant hasn’t just been breaking the law and harming North Carolinians – he’s done so by purposefully targeting Black people,” said Stein. “It’s both wrong and illegal, and I’m asking the court to stop him from engaging in this predatory and discriminatory conduct and give full financial relief to his victims.”
Out of 11 of the 14 complaints received by the Attorney General’s office were submitted by Black residents.
“The State seeks temporary, preliminary, and permanent injunctive relief against Defendants, together with restitution for victims, civil penalties, and other relief,” reads the lawsuit
One driver, 18-year-old Kevin Hall, was required to pay more than $5,000 for his vehicle to be released after it was illegally towed from the parking lot of a 711 in March of 2022. Hall claimed that there were no signs about parking restrictions until he returned to pick up the vehicle after the weekend. He’d even checked with the clerk inside the 711 before leaving his truck.
“I arrived at Automobile Parking and Recovery located at 7425 Orr Road, Charlotte, North Carolina 28213,” said Hall in the complaint. “I spoke with a middle-aged white male who informed me it would be $5,200 to release my tractor-trailer. When I asked for an invoice or a breakdown of the charges, he refused and stated that I would only receive an invoice after I paid in full.”
The DOJ says Satterfield was engaged in “reverse redlining” following an investigation by the Consumer Protection Division and the Civil Rights Unit.
“Satterfield was targeting African Americans by a process called ‘reverse redlining,’ in which certain communities receive less favorable treatment,” said the press release. “He was allegedly also operating mostly in areas of Charlotte that have a majority African American population.”
The release went on to note that Black people only make up 35 percent of Charlotte’s population, yet 72 percent of the trucks Satterfield towed were owned by Black people. Satterfield also owns Automobile Recovery & Parking Enforcement, Inc., which is also listed as a defendant in the lawsuit.
