Other flags with Wilkes-Barre towing business firm

Years before allegations of price gouging and improper billing dogged Wilkes-Barre towing contractor, several red flags emerged from other work LAG Towing owner Leo Glodzik three performed for the city.

From 2005 to 2008, the city paid Mr. Glodzik's companies, which include United Sanitation Network Inc. and LAG Wrecking, more than $1.1 million for vehicle purchase and rentals, demolition work and flood cleanup.

Operations Director Butch Frats said most of Mr. Glodzik's work was beyond all right, but he recalled several problems In October 2006, Mr. Glodzik sold the city a cargo van without informative the state had declared it salvage, a possible suggestion of severe damage.

The city paid Mr. Glodzik $18,000 for the 2005 Chevrolet Express work van, which would have been used by animal control. The van sold new for around $24,500, according to a spokeswoman with Kelley Blue Book, an automobile valuation company.

I did not think it was worth the money we had paid for it, Mr. Frati said. So, it took some time, but we finished up getting our money back for the van and we got a special one.Mr. Glodzik refused to say how he acquires the van or why it was labeled salvage, citing his attorney advice to not speak with the media.

Mr. Frati said he did not think the city got a fair shake on the deal, but he stopped short of saying Mr. Glodzik tried to rip off the city. The botched transaction did not prevent future dealings with Mr. Glodzik. The city awarded him a variety of contracts; according to documents obtain in a Right-to-Know ask for. Mr. Glodzik submitted the lowest bids on some projects, and others were awarded on an emergency, no-bid basis.

Now, the city is investigate more than 30 complaints lodged against Mr. Glodzik towing business since January, and the FBI delivered a subpoena in February to the city for police records connected to the Auto towing company. Customers allege he inflated prices and improperly charged them to retrieve their stolen vehicles, which is a violation of his contract.

Mr. Glodzik disputes the allegation but has admitted he may have wrongly charged crime victims. Mayor Tom Leighton said Friday he did not think the 2006 van purchase was a reason to discontinue doing business with Mr. Glodzik. He said he does not remember many details about the business but would be surprised if Mr. Glodzik knowingly tried to sell the city shoddy tools.

We get a lot of stuff that is defective, and we have problems with a lot of vendors, Mr. Leighton said. If there support out there that any vendor, regardless of who it is, I'd be extremely disappointed. But I do not have all the information to justify making a comment.