A Chicago man was arrested last week for soliciting payoffs from drivers whose vehicles had been impounded by the city. Daniel Rankins was allegedly approaching people whose vehicle had been impounded by the city and offering to help them get their vehicle back for a fraction of the price. Rankins would file phony bankruptcy petitions, which placed an automatic hold on fines and released the vehicle. A spike in the number of motorists claiming bankruptcy to circumvent the process raised questions among city officials. Soon after, the FBI began investigating the scam.
Since May of last year, more than 1,000 bankruptcy cases had been filed with the Revenue Department and the city’s auto pounds as the only listed creditors. An individual at the Revenue Department Office approached an undercover officer posing as a motorist, whose car had been impounded. The individual put him in touch with Rankins, who provided him with bankruptcy paperwork that was already completed except for personal and vehicle information. After the paperwork was complete, Rankins drove the officer to federal bankruptcy court to file. The officer later paid Rankins $600 for his services. Rankins told authorities he learned of the scam when his own car was impounded a few months prior. After Rankins recovered his own vehicle, he began working with the other two individuals to recruit motorists with impounded cars.
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