Penalty Amount
$65,000
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a $65,000 settlement with Hilario Truck Center and Hilario’s Service Center for illegally collecting junk fees such as PPE fees, administrative fees, and fuel surcharges during police-ordered tows. The settlement requires the companies to pay $10,000 to the state and provide refunds to eligible consumers who paid these unauthorized fees between 2019 and 2024.
The settlement requires Hilario’s to pay $65,000, including $10,000 to the state and refunds to eligible consumers, and to cease charging illegal junk fees such as PPE fees, administrative fees, and fuel surcharges for police-ordered tows.
In-house legal teams should review all vendor and service agreements with towing and wrecking companies, particularly those providing services for law enforcement or private property tows. Key clauses to examine include the fee schedule and pricing structure to ensure compliance with state regulations requiring all-inclusive, tightly regulated tow fees; provisions prohibiting unauthorized or 'junk' fees such as PPE, administrative, or fuel surcharges; transparency requirements for fee disclosure; and refund or restitution obligations for overcharges. Contracts may need amendments to explicitly forbid additional fees beyond the state-mandated rate, incorporate audit rights to verify fee compliance, and align with state consumer protection statutes to avoid liability for illegal fee practices.
Entity
Hilario Truck Center and Hilario’s Service Center
Also known as: Hilario's Towing
Industry
AutomotiveOn May 11, 2026, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong led a bipartisan coalition of 21 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to abandon draft guidance that would ease approvals for flavored e-cigarette products. The coalition argues the guidance ignores evidence that flavored e-cigarettes disproportionately drive youth addiction and that FDA has failed to enforce existing authorization requirements for e-cigarette products. The letter references past tobacco and e-cigarette enforcement actions, including the 1998 tobacco master settlement agreement and the 2022 $438.5 million settlement with JUUL Labs.
Connecticut’s legislature passed House Bill 5312, creating new civil enforcement mechanisms for deepfake digital sexual assault, including unauthorized dissemination of synthetically created intimate images and AI-generated child pornography. The bill establishes a private right of action for victims and empowers the Connecticut Attorney General to pursue civil injunctions and penalties against abusers and platforms hosting illegal content. This builds on prior Connecticut laws criminalizing unauthorized intimate image dissemination.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong praised final passage of House Bill 5312, which creates new civil enforcement mechanisms for deepfake digital sexual assault. The legislation allows the AG to pursue civil injunctions and penalties against platforms that disseminate illegal synthetic intimate images, including AI-generated child pornography, and establishes a private right of action for victims. The bill builds on prior Connecticut laws criminalizing unauthorized dissemination of intimate images.
$300K
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a settlement with international trade platform Made-in-China to cease all U.S. sales of unlawful 'research grade' GLP-1 weight loss drugs following an investigation into direct sales to consumers without prescriptions or medical oversight. The settlement prohibits the platform from hosting GLP-1 sales to U.S. customers, requires a monitoring system to remove non-compliant listings, and imposes a $300,000 penalty suspended after an initial $30,000 payment. Additional settlements were announced with Radiance Medspa and Advanced Medical Weight Loss over compounded non-FDA approved GLP-1 drugs.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a statement on May 1, 2026, announcing the final passage of bipartisan legislation targeting youth social media addiction and artificial intelligence harms. The legislation imposes new obligations on social media companies regarding minor account settings, parental consent, and reporting, as well as requirements for AI chatbot operators and employers using automated decision tools. The statement also references ongoing enforcement actions against Meta and TikTok for allegedly designing addictive platform features for youth.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a statement on May 1, 2026, following final passage of bipartisan legislation to combat youth social media addiction and regulate artificial intelligence harms. The legislation imposes new requirements on social media companies regarding minor users, including parental consent for addictive algorithms, default privacy settings, and annual reporting obligations. It also establishes rules for AI chat bots and automated employment decision tools, including disclosure requirements and self-harm detection protocols.