Oscar Salinas and Zaki Merhazi allegedly caused approximately $2.5 million in total damages to private and commercial vehicle owners, banks, insurance companies, and the state of Colorado with the help of friends and daily members. The indictment of Salinas, Merhazi, and six others was announced on Thursday, October 8th.
According to CBS News, the two men used predatory towing practices and document forgery to acquire vehicles. The crime ring would either use predatory towing to extort the vehicle owners for money, or falsely claim ownership of vehicles by presenting false documents such as vehicle registrations, titles, invoices, repossession statements, and power of attorney forms to DMV employees to gain possession of vehicles being stored there.
One victim claims the men showed up at a crash scene and hooked up to her semi truck before she gave full permission for them to transport it. The men then held her rig hostage throughout the weekend, demanding she pay massive fees in cash and alluding to their personal ties to the police department.
They told her “I needed to be careful because they have contact in the police,” the truck driver said. The truck driver says Salinas even showed up at her home to demand she give them the truck title. The truck driver eventually called police and was able to regain possession of her rig for less than $1,200, but other victims report paying as much as $8,000 to get their vehicle back from the crime ring.
The allegedly false documents allowed the crime ring to gain possession of multiple Dodge Charges and pickup trucks, multiple luxury vehicles, a travel trailer, two dump trailers, five previously stolen tow trucks, and a Peterbilt semi truck.
The crime ring operated for three years between June 2023 and September 2026. Salinas operated under the business names Supreme Towing, On Time Towing, and Greg’s Towing and Recovery. Merhazi operated under businesses named Denver Commercial Services and Blue Mountain Towing Ltd. All were based in Aurora, Colorado. Both men are currently in custody of the Denver Police Department.
The group operated for three years, between June 25, 2023, and September 30, 2026, according to the indictment. The towing businesses owned by Salinas were named Supreme Towing, On Time Towing, and Greg’s Towing and Recovery, according to investigators. Meharzi businesses were called Denver Commercial Services and Blue Mountain Towing Ltd. and were based in Aurora.
