Multiple charges dropped in cases involving potentially illegal semi truck towing operation in Memphis

Criminal charges have been dropped for at least four men arrested in multiple incidents involving the potentially illegal semi truck towing in Memphis. 

In the last six months, there have been at least six separate incidents and one bad contract with a truck stop involving A-1’s Towing and Hauling booting and towing away semi trucks – sometimes by force and often without warning. A-1’s Towing and Hauling is affiliated with S-Line Towing – which has also been involved in some of these cases. 

In five of these cases, A-1’s tow truck drivers were charged with carjacking after towing semi trucks by force. In another case, an A-1 employee was charged with aggravated assault. Now, at least four of these employees have had their charges dropped by the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office. 

The first charges were dropped for A-1’s employee, Rufus Nelson, and S-Line employee Gary Rhodes after they were arrested for illegally towing a tractor trailer from a truck stop in southeast Memphis. Some of the charges for the men were dropped and expunged from their records after a judge determined that the Memphis Police Department violated a previous court order during the arrests by entering private property and enforcing rules. Rhodes has been cleared of all charges, but Newson is still facing charges for theft of property, assault, and driving with a canceled or revoked license. His preliminary hearing is set for Thursday. 

The remaining charges against A-1 and S-Line employees were dropped on September 21st. WREG has since contacted the District Attorney’s office for an explanation, but has not received an answer. 

Jeff Partlow, a driver who was booted and towed from a gas station on South Mendenhall and Shelby Drive says he called police to report the issue, but they couldn’t help him. Partlow says he had pulled into the station to allow his trainee to use the bathroom when an A-1’s tow truck pulled into the lot and booted his rig, all while his foot was still on the brake.  Partlow agreed to pay the $276 fee to remove the boot, but the employees told him he didn’t pay fast enough and they towed his truck anyway. 

“There were two officers that came out, and then the sergeant came out, and then the colonel came out. The colonel was talking to me and told me that their hands were tied because they had just had an injunction placed against them,” Partlow said. “The colonel told me if it turned criminal if he put his hands on me or damaged to the truck to call him back, and they could get involved.”