Charlotte Tow Owner Faces Felony Charges Over Repo Attempt

Allegations of towing a vehicle with occupants inside add to years of lawsuits, court orders and criminal investigations.

Charlotte Tow Owner Faces Felony Charges Over Repo Attempt

Charlotte, NC – July 23, 2026 – According to WBTV, Joyce Bradley and her godmother, Shelby Graham, were attempting to leave a Mt. Holly gas station and pull into traffic when authorities allege David Jewel Satterfield drove his tow truck into the front of their vehicle, pushing it farther into the roadway before hooking it for

repossession. Investigators allege the vehicle was then dragged back toward the gas station while both women remained inside.

Video obtained by WBTV allegedly shows Bradley attempting to stop the repossession as Satterfield deployed pepper spray, smashed her cellphone, and continued the encounter. Bradley was ultimately able to drive away after the vehicle reportedly became improperly hooked during the struggle.

Mt. Holly police subsequently arrested Satterfield, charging him with two counts of felonious restraint, misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon, injury to personal property, and simple assault. Gaston County prosecutors have also sought habitual felon status, which could substantially increase any sentence if he is convicted of a qualifying felony. As with all criminal cases, the charges remain allegations, and Satterfield is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

See the Video Here!

As with all criminal matters, the allegations have not been proven in court, and Satterfield is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Standing alone, the allegations are startling. Viewed against the backdrop of the past six years, they become even more significant.

Viewed in context, however, it is the latest chapter in a legal history that has spanned more than six years and includes civil enforcement by the North Carolina Attorney General, court injunctions, consumer protection litigation, a consent judgment, and multiple criminal prosecutions.

A Pattern of Legal Trouble

Satterfield and A1 Towing Solutions first came under statewide scrutiny in 2020 when the North Carolina Attorney General filed a civil lawsuit alleging the company illegally targeted commercial truck drivers during the COVID-19 state of emergency. The original complaint, which can be read on the North Carolina Department of Justice website, alleged predatory towing, price gouging and unlawful debt collection practices.

According to the complaint, the company engaged in excessive towing and booting fees, unauthorized towing practices, unlawful debt collection activities and violations of North Carolina’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act. State attorneys alleged some truck drivers were forced to pay thousands of dollars to recover their vehicles, with certain release fees reportedly exceeding $4,000.

The Superior Court subsequently issued a preliminary injunction restricting how the company could conduct its towing and booting operations while the litigation remained pending.

Rather than ending there, the legal issues continued to grow.

In 2023, the Attorney General expanded the lawsuit to include allegations that Black motorists were disproportionately targeted by the company’s towing and booting practices. Earlier this year, the case concluded with a consent judgment that the Attorney General described as North Carolina’s first discriminatory towing enforcement action. Under the agreement, affected consumers will receive approximately $30,000 in restitution, and the company is prohibited from engaging in numerous towing and consumer practices outlined in the judgment. The full consent judgment is available from the North Carolina Department of Justice.

The judgment also provides for significant financial penalties should its terms be violated. A consent judgment resolves civil claims but does not necessarily constitute an admission of every allegation contained in the complaint.

Separate from the Attorney General’s civil case, Satterfield has also faced multiple criminal prosecutions over the years, including previously reported felony charges and habitual felon proceedings that have drawn repeated media attention in the Charlotte area. According to WBTV, Gaston County prosecutors have again sought habitual felon status in connection with the latest charges.

Now, prosecutors allege another serious incident occurred during a repossession attempt which according to his inmate record, shows the date of arrest as May 31, 2026.

The Bigger Question

Incidents involving occupied vehicles are among the most serious situations a repossession professional can encounter. Industry best practices generally emphasize immediately stopping a recovery when an occupant is discovered and disengaging until the situation can be safely resolved.

While the facts surrounding this latest case will ultimately be determined in court, the allegations are likely to draw renewed attention to vendor oversight throughout the auto finance industry.

Every assignment placed with a repossession or towing company reflects a business decision by a lender, finance company, dealership, forwarder, property owner or property management firm. Most maintain vendor management programs designed to evaluate licensing, insurance, compliance history and operational risk before entrusting a contractor with recovering vehicles on their behalf.

The latest felony charges are only the newest development in a public record that includes years of litigation, court orders, regulatory enforcement actions and criminal allegations.

For the repossession industry, that raises a broader question.

After years of lawsuits, court injunctions, regulatory enforcement actions and repeated criminal allegations, who continues to hire this company, and why is it still operating on Charlotte’s streets?