KC towing company falsified documents to move cars, felony filings allege

The owner of a Kansas City towing company and his mother face 18 felony charges, according to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, for illegal towing practices that have allegedly gone on for years.

Donald Adamson, the owner of Metro Tow and Transport, and his mother Lannette Adamson, were both charged with four counts of stealing, four counts of forgery, and one count of first-degree harassment. The pair are accused of falsifying documents to illegally tow vehicles without proper authorization, charging victims large, illegal fees and holding vehicles.

Both are in Kansas City police custody.

There is also an investigation into felony property damage of a pole camera near the company’s tow lot that was shot out in late March. Someone in a black pickup truck, consistent with a 1996 to 2006 Chevrolet Silverado, was seen firing rounds at the camera.

Five shell casings were collected from the scene near the camera, which is valued at more than $5,000. Metro Tow employees and Adamson are suspected in the shooting, prosecutors said.

These charges come after a months-long investigation following multiple complaints to Kansas City police stretching back several years, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

“...I am proud to present charges as we work to hold predatory towing companies accountable for their actions,” Prosecutor Johnson said in a news release Tuesday.

“The impact of illegal towing falls hardest on those already struggling financially, creating a snowball effect of towing fees, lost wages, transportation challenges, and stress piling up. I am proud of our team for building a strong case and bringing justice to victims impacted by these practices. We will not tolerate businesses that exploit hardworking people in Jackson County,” Johnson said.

Falsifying documents

For years, Kansas City police received numerous complaints about Metro Tow and Transport, according to court documents.

Victims said they parked at apartment complexes and other areas with appropriate tags and returned to find their vehicles missing. When victims attempted to retrieve their vehicles, they were allegedly told various reasons by company employees why they could not retrieve their vehicles the same day.

One victim was told he must come back the next day with cash.

Another victim was told she couldn’t obtain her vehicle because her name was written on the bill of sale instead of typed. She also was told she could only collect belongings from her vehicle if she left the car keys with the company.

Keely Shea said she became a victim of the tow company in September.

She had parked in a lot near The Brick, a downtown bar and grill at 1727 McGee St., and was only in the bar for an hour, during which time her car was towed.

When she called Metro Tow, an employee first said her car wasn’t there. She then called police, who told her to wait for the car to show up in the system before she called the company back. The same employee, who Shea said was also rude to her, answered and told her the company was closed.

Shea went to Metro Tow in the morning and paid more than $300 in cash to retrieve her vehicle that only was with the company for approximately 12 hours, she said.

“It was a really frustrating, stressful time, and they were not helpful,” Shea said.

Keeping the vehicles allowed the company to apply for the vehicles’ titles through abandoned property reports, according to court documents. Abandoned property reports are legal documents for tow companies to complete when towing a vehicle from private lots. The reports are supposed to be filled out on-scene by the towing company and the owner, lessee, property, or security manager.

Once the document is signed, the tow driver has two hours to report the vehicle information to the records department of the agency where it was towed. If a driver doesn’t call in the information, the state won’t be able to keep track of the vehicle’s location.

Adamson’s mother is accused of pre-signing forms with her name as an authorized party without appearing on-scene. Her signature was photocopied or had a digital signature on 250 of the 329 forms investigators reviewed, records said.

“...it is difficult, if not impossible for LS Adamson to have been physically present for all of the tows,” court records said.

Adamson’s mother allegedly told police she owns a business called MOKAN Property Services, a security company she runs for parking lots to tow vehicles. She also allegedly gave different responses to investigators when asked if she was present to sign abandoned property forms when cars were towed.

Adamson’s mother also told investigators that by law, managers or representatives have to sign for the car to be towed, including security managers. Investigators informed the mother that security managers must be full-time employees of the company where vehicles are being towed, to which she disagreed, records said.

Adamson allegedly told police he didn’t know his mother gave tow drivers pre-signed abandoned property reports, but then changed his story to say that she would bring the forms to him while at a scene.

Adamson’s criminal history

Adamson’s charges add to his already-lengthy criminal record.

He’s been listed in 26 Kansas City police reports for assault, aggravated assault, theft from auto, property damage, and stolen auto, records show.

Adamson has also had several disputes with victims attempting to recover their vehicles in the past four months, investigators said.

The Metro Tow owner was convicted of third-degree misdemeanor assault in Platte County and sentenced to two years probation in 2013. He was also convicted of felony resisting arrest by fleeing Missouri Highway Patrol, and sentenced to five years probation in 2004. In 1999, Adamson was convicted of property damage in Gladstone and sentenced to one year of probation.

This story was originally published April 15, 2025 at 5:49 PM.