San Francisco tow truck operator Jose Vicente Badillo was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday for plotting to set his competitors’ trucks on fire in 2023.
The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Rita Lin in a San Francisco federal court. Badillo was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit arson in March of last year and faced up to 20 years in prison.
“I take full responsibility for what I did,” Badillo told the court during his sentencing hearing. “It won’t happen again, you won’t ever see me here again.”
According to his indictment, Badillo, who owned Auto Towing and Specialty Towing, conspired with collaborators to burn six tow trucks belonging to four competitors in San Francisco and East Palo Alto between April and October 2023, with the goal of driving customers to his businesses.
Judge Lin in her decision highlighted the “devastating and unfair impact” Badillo’s actions had on his victims, two of whom came to testify during the hearing. Addressing the court through a Spanish interpreter, the two business owners talked about the emotional distress the attacks caused them, and the financial hit they took.
Judge Lin said she had “a lot of concern” about Badillo’s criminal history. The arson charges filed last March were only the latest in a long list of criminal cases brought against the tow truck operator in recent years.
In July and August 2024, Badillo was indicted on multiple counts of fraud and money laundering for allegedly submitting fraudulent auto insurance claims. In October 2025, he pleaded guilty to two counts. A sentencing hearing in the fraud case is scheduled for Friday.
Badillo was also indicted by the San Francisco district attorney in 2023 on counts of welfare fraud, perjury and grand theft for allegedly lying on his welfare application.
According to the district attorney, Badillo and his partner received Medi-Cal, CalFresh and CalWORKS benefits while their companies were generating over $2 million in annual revenue. They made several large purchases during this period, including storefronts, cars, boats, and a Lamborghini valued at over $250,000.
In February 2024, the city barred Badillo and his companies from bidding on or receiving any city contracts. The proceedings came after the city said one of his towing companies had allegedly trespassed on a bank’s parking lot, installed fraudulent “no parking” signs, and illegally towed cars in 2023.
In September, Mission Local reported that residents and city officials said Badillo’s operation appeared to be towing vehicles under a different business name even though he no longer held a city permit.
During Thursday’s hearing, Judge Lin acknowledged that Badillo had tried to provide for his family. She also noted that he was, for the first time, addressing a substance abuse problem he has struggled with since he was a teenager.
She said she hoped the sentence could serve as a “wake-up call” for him.
“Law enforcement will be watching if you try something like this again, Mr. Badillo,” she said. “But it is my hope that you never will.”