A Missouri tow truck company owner has been sentenced to nearly 13 years in federal prison for using forged paperwork to sell or scrap stolen vehicles, leading to several million dollars in proceeds.
According to federal prosecutors, Dennis Arthur Cleveland, 76, the former owner of Affordable Towing in the Springfield area, directed employees to submit fraudulent documents to the Missouri Department of Revenue to obtain mechanic’s liens and vehicle titles for cars the company had no legal right to sell.
The documents contained forged signatures that falsely indicated vehicle owners had authorized the transactions. Additionally, every vehicle involved in the scheme had previously been reported stolen.
On October 6, 2026, U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough sentenced Cleveland to 153 months in federal prison for mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering, charges Cleveland had pleaded guilty to in December 2025.
Forged Vehicle Titles
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The fraudulent paperwork allowed Cleveland to turn stolen vehicles into profits, whether the applications were approved or denied.
When the Missouri Department of Revenue approved the applications, Cleveland sold the vehicles through his used-car dealership. If the applications were denied, he sent the vehicles to scrapyards instead.
U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price emphasized that vehicle registration and title systems are designed to establish lawful ownership, not allow individuals to profit from stolen vehicles.
The investigation involved the Missouri Department of Revenue, IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division.
Employee Pleads Guilty
Cleveland was not the only person implicated in the scheme. An Affordable Towing employee also faced federal charges for her role.
Christie Engle, 49, who submitted fraudulent paperwork at Cleveland’s direction, pleaded guilty to mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering on January 22, 2026.
A separate federal announcement stated that Engle faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years for mail fraud and 10 years for money laundering, plus a mandatory consecutive two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft.
Her actual punishment will be determined at sentencing, which will be scheduled after a presentence investigation.
Previous Federal Conviction
Cleveland’s sentence included nine additional months in prison for violating the conditions of his post-release supervision from a 2023 federal Clean Air Act conviction involving illegal modifications to diesel tow truck emissions equipment.
For the vehicle-title fraud, he received concurrent 120-month sentences for mail fraud and money laundering, plus a consecutive 24-month sentence for aggravated identity theft.
The court also ordered Cleveland to pay $37,049 in victim restitution, forfeit another $37,049, and pay $400,000 in fines and a $300 special assessment.
Following his prison sentence, Cleveland will serve three years of supervised release.