Anthony Richardson Dunston, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been convicted of a crime involving illegally towing a vehicle in Lee County. A jury returned the guilty verdict following a two-day trial.
The defendant was convicted of Insufficient Identifiers on a Tow Truck and Towing as a Business Activity without a Permit.
Assistant State Attorney Geoffrey Wilson and Assistant Circuit Court Chief Erin Hughes prosecuted the case.
In 2023, following Hurricane Ian, the defendant, and two-co-defendants, started a towing business but did not follow the law.
In this case, one victim, who lived in Bonita Springs, found that his car had washed away in flood waters, ending up on Fort Myers Beach. A legitimate towing company found the car in the water, partially submerged, and pulled it out of the water and put it in a dry lot.
But the defendant took his tow truck and then took the car, towing it to his location, in North Fort Myers. But, in a sheer twist of fate, the original tow truck driver, who pulled the car from the water, was also in North Fort Myers and just happened to see the vehicle. He recognized it and was suspicious of the car being towed again, so he called the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
They began an investigation and found out the owner of the vehicle never approved for it to be towed. The defendant’s tow truck was also not properly marked identifying the company, as required by law. The investigation led to the arrest of the defendant and two co-defendants, Marcder Guerrier and Zulma Robles, who were previously prosecuted for their roles in the towing crimes.
Sentencing is scheduled for Anthony Dunston on May 12, 2025.
Samantha Syoen – State Attorney’s Office Communications Director