A towing company owner has been arrested for auto theft after he refused to release an impounded vehicle to Knoxville (Tenn.) Police Department officers without payment of the towing fee. The situation arose on Thursday, January 6 after Billy Ogle, of Ogle’s Wrecker, in Knoxville, impounded a 2012 Hyundai Sonata at the request of a property owner. The car was blocking the driveway to a private residence. Once the Hyundai was at Ogle’s lot, Ogle notified the city police department in accordance with state and local law. An NCIC search revealed that the vehicle had been stolen before it was left abandoned at the tow site. Shortly thereafter, two police officers appeared at Ogle’s tow lot with a tow truck demanding that Ogle release the Hyundai so it could be transferred to the city pound. When Ogle refused to release the vehicle until he was paid his towing fee, things turned ugly. After an escalating confrontation between the officers and Ogle, Ogle was handcuffed and arrested for felony auto theft. If convicted, he is facing a sentence of 3 to 6 years in prison.
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