The former owner of a Lauderdale Lakes towing company took part in a kickback scheme by routing accident victims to lawyers and chiropractors for a fee that he later failed to report to the IRS, according to federal prosecutors.
Craig Goldstein, 60, of Boca Raton, who founded Westway Towing in 1989, was charged with three counts of tax evasion and is accused of cheating the federal government out of $130,000 in taxes.
The kickback operation resulted in federal charges against six South Florida lawyers and chiropractors in 2017. The accused ringleader, Felix Filenger, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in federal prison after pleading guilty to fraud charges. Lawyers and chiropractors from South Florida to Orlando were involved in the scheme, according to prosecutors.
Efforts to reach Goldstein’s attorney Wednesday were not successful.
Brett Holcombe, president of Westway, said Goldstein has not been involved with the company since the kickback scheme was exposed in 2017. Holcombe described Goldstein as a friend who admitted his mistakes and would be taking personal responsibility for them.
“He’s a great friend of mine,” said Holcombe. “He’s apparently made a mistake. He apologized to me. It didn’t in any way affect what we’ve done with Westway and our involvement in the community over more than 30 years.”
Westway has contracts with more than a dozen local governments in South Florida, towing vehicles from accident scenes and in cases where the vehicles’ drivers are being arrested. Holcombe said the company maintains a strong relationship with local police departments and participates in “Night Out Against Crime” events annually.
Prosecutors said Goldstein was paid in cash each time he referred a patient to attorneys or chiropractors in Filenger’s ring. He also failed to report cash he received from storage lien fees and vehicle auctions, prosecutors said.
The case will be handled in federal court in Fort Lauderdale.
Rafael Olmeda can be reached at , 954-356-4457 or on Twitter @rolmeda
