Cops: Councilman extorted towing company
One suburban towing company found out that to continue to be Yeadon borough's contracted towing service, an old-fashioned bribe of the borough's council president was in order, according to court documents.
Cops: Councilman extorted towing company
Stephanie Farr
Tow be or not tow be?
One suburban towing company found out that to continue to be Yeadon borough's contracted towing service, an old-fashioned bribe of the borough's council president was in order, according to court documents.
Unfortunately for council President John Holden, the proprietors of Seiple's Collision refused to tow the line and worked with police to nab him on charges of extortion and bribery yesterday afternoon.
It all began in March when Holden, 46, had his abandoned car tagged by the borough's code enforcement officer and towed by the borough contracted towing service, Seiple's Collision, despite calls from Holden to the towing company not to tow his vehicle, court documents said.
In July, Seiple's wife attended a Yeadon Borough Council meeting during which Holden claimed he'd received complaints about Seiple's, had his own problem with the company and wanted to discuss contracting a new towing service for the borough, according to court documents.
Following that meeting, Holden and Seiple had several discussions and then met at a Yeadon school yard on Aug. 2. During the meeting, Holden told Seiple he'd received "racial complaints," against his company, though he couldn't provide specifics or documentation, according to court documents.
Seiple asked Holden "what it would take to make this problem go away," and even offered to give him his car back, court documents said.
But Holden didn't want his car, he wanted $7,000, according to police.
"'You know what has to be done but I can't say it,'" Holden told Seiple, court documents said.
He let Seiple know how much he could be bribed for by simply writing the number 7 down on a piece of paper, police said.
On Wednesday, Seiple, who was working with county detectives, met with Holden and gave him $1,000 as a down payment on the bribe, police said.
When police moved in and arrested Holden, they found a fully-loaded handgun on him.
This comment has been deleted.— GREEKPICNIC- The race card can be used as an offensive weapon as well as defensive weapon. Al Sharpton has pefercted this with his extortion of car companies. We must all walk on eggshells. — towelie
- All (ALL) Americans are pros at playing the race card. We all (ALL) walk on eggshells until we admit the obvious.
"They will never admit it"...Alistair Cooke, 1972.— Cuddles - Is that Uncle Phil from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air?— Commentdant_Klink
- Uncle Phil - classic ! Was Jeffery driving the car?— delcorules
- scum— Old German
- Yeadon,Folcroft,Lansdown, Upper Darby, and all of eastern delco thanks Philly you are not happy with destroying philly you have to do delco too.— angrywhtguy
- $7K? Dude is going to jail for demanding a measley $7K? If you're going to ask for a bribe at least ask for more than $7K. Dude is a moron. Should have at least went for it and asked for $20K or $30K and prostitutes.— MrBigDizzle
- The Democratic taking in DELCO is officially well underway. Fortunately some people just won't let the lefties take and take.... LOL enjoy your new prison partner!— SPENDSPEND
- @angrywhtguy - Are you stupid or something. He lives in your county and you voted him in. Go Scr#w yourself. :)
— Bruddah - MAN THIS GUY IS THE TRUFE— AbeVigoda
- Poor Yeadon, it use to be such a nice town. I remember how nice the houses were when I use to drive through it. It now looks like a place you don't want to be, especially when the sun goes down. Typical slum now, just like most of Philadelphia. Don't you like how they want to move to some place nicer and then they make that nicer place not nice?— neddyflanders
- Who is the amorphous "they" you are referring to? — MarMarvelous
- What streets are you driving through in Yeadon? Certainly not the streets with manicured lawns and well kept houses on my block. Or the block I grew up on. A solidly middle class neighborhood where neighbors have lived for 30 years or more. A community of doctors, lawyers and educators who have raised and educated their children- who are now professionals. Educated "theys" who pay there mortgages, property taxes - and, oh yes, the highest school taxes in Delaware County. Unfortunately there is a rising "rifty" element anywhere you go, probably some in your "nice" neighborhood. But please don;t make a blanket statement about the proud homeowners in Yeadon. — MarMarvelous
- Please forgive the typos. I was so angry that the fingers couldn't keep up with the brain. I am sure you were able to glean the intent of my message despite the minor errors. — MarMarvelous
