‘Drug kingpin’ freed, probe will continue
A TOW TRUCK monopoly resorted to violence, intimidation and property damage to chase off competitors — even going as far as striking their rivals’ vehicles with a crane, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Daniel Steininger, 44, used a variety of illegal tactics to dominate the towing business citywide for nearly two-and-a-half years, according to indictments filed against him and 16 others.
Steininger, 44, of Long Island, skirted city regulations that establish a towing rotation meant to distribute jobs to licensed companies, authorities said.
He scooped up towing companies, and deceived city agencies by registering under various corporate names to control a major piece of the market, according to Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr.
He allegedly used a mob associate, Carl Fava, 58, to oversee the arrangement.
“In order to get as many spots on that rotation list as possible, the defendants . . . fraudulently acquired and consolidated various other towing companies and then stacked that roster with multiple companies,” Vance told reporters at a press conference announcing the case.
When the NYPD formally reopened the bidding process, allowing tow truck companies to work on the city’s highways, Stenininger and his sister, Karen, 38, would have multiple companies under their control submit “competing” applications for the same stretches of roadway, prosecutors said.
And Steininger encouraged his employees to “show some force” when encountering the competition, prosecutors said.
His drivers resorted to “chasing” A REPUTED kingpin of a Brooklyn heroin ring that allegedly included an NBA star was released from jail Wednesday after claiming for months he was wrongly arrested, the Daily News has learned.
Then-acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez last May announced the indictment of 13 alleged drug traffickers who peddled heroin throughout Brooklyn.
Among the defendants were Richard (Cristiano) Rivera (r.) and former hoops star James (Fly) Williams (below).
Rivera, 45, faced up to 25 years in prison if convicted on the top charge of conspiracy.
Though his lawyer, Patrick Brackley, has long maintained Rivera was misidentified, he’s been held on $250,000 bail set by Justice Danny Chun, who dismissed five of the charges against him.
Prosecutors have now agreed to release him on his own recognizance as they continue to investigate. But Chun warned Rivera he must return to court as the case is still under investigation.
“I’m just happy to be out,” Rivera said outside of Brooklyn Supreme, as he embraced his wife, Jacqueline Perez.
Rivera is expected back in court April 12. The case against 66-year-old Williams is still pending.