ST. LOUIS — Former St. Louis Alderman Brandon Bosley has been federally indicted on three counts of wire fraud for an insurance fraud scheme.
Each count carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Bosley pleaded not guilty to all of the charges in federal court Monday, and was released on his own recognizance after federal prosecutors and his defense attorney, Paul Sims, agreed that Bosley did not need to be detained.
He is required to submit to random drug tests and not leave the Eastern District's jurisdiction while he awaits trial. He is also expected to turn over all of his firearms to his attorney Monday.
As he was leaving the courthouse, Bosley noted how only one of the reporters there to cover his hearing was Black.
He also added: "I think that public officials are held to the highest standard, and we have to do the best that we can to be the best that we can in any situation to ensure that we represent our people the best way possible. And when we make decisions, we have to think about every single person around you and how it affects every single person that believes in what you do, so with that being said, those are my comments."
His attorney said Bosley had no further comment.
The charges stem from Bosley's purchase of a 2010 Toyota Prius from an FBI informant, who owned a used car business in Jennings, a car repair garage in Bridgeton and a convenience store in Bosley’s former third ward.
The title listed $3,000 as the purchase price, although Bosley only paid the man $500 in cash, according to the indictment. At the time, Carfax listed the retail value of the car at almost $10,000.
Bosley bought the car on March 30, 2021, but did not register or title the car until April 5, 2022.
On Sept. 16, 2021, while the Prius was parked in front of Bosley’s St. Louis office, it was hit by another car. According to the indictment, Bosley offered a bribe to the FBI informant to have a falsely inflated repair estimate prepared to give to Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance, hoping to have the insurer determine the car was totaled and pay Bosley accordingly.
Bosley is the fourth St. Louis alderman to be federally indicted in the past year. The FBI informant listed in the court documents against Bosley bear several similarities to the informant that took down the other three aldermen. He remains unnamed in court documents, but multiple sources familiar with the investigation have identified him as Muhammed Almuttan.
Some of the conversations involving Bosley were captured on a wire. In the indictment, Bosley is quoted as saying: "I don't know 100% what the damages are, but of course you've seen the car, you know how it's driving. If it's fixable and it's reasonable then I'm definitely with trying to figure out how to fix it. But if it's not, (expletive) that car, man. You know, mark that (expletive) all the way up, see what it is we can do, I'll throw you a few thousand dollars, and (expletive) that insurance company."
He continued: "So, what I don't want is, I don't want them to low ball us. I know how insurance companies do (expletive), you know. Of course, you know their whole business is based on trying to maintain as many dollars as they can. (Expletive) that insurance company. I don 't give two (expletive) about ' em . .. .I'm not bothered by hitting them with as much as we can .. . .I told them I'm an elected official. ... "
In another conversation, included in the indictment, Bosley stated:
"These companies is made for capitalism, when I say I despise them, I don't give two (expletive) about no insurance company. I despise them. Because I know what they do. Like, I deal with them. I help them, unfortunately, even with the laws I make, help them create the scenarios that they create. I'm involved in this (expletive) ... So, I'd be a (expletive) fool to be sitting here like these people don't owe us something .... Let's see what we can get from these guys. Break some shit up, and keep pushing."
John Doe: "OK, so we're set?"
Bosley: "I think we're set. So we just knock it out, if we can total it, let's total it."
Then, on Feb. 11, 2022, Bosley’s bill lifting the liquor license moratorium in the third ward was passed out of the Board of Aldermen and became an ordinance March 3, 2022. That’s the same ward where the informant’s convenience store was located.
Then, on April 12, 2022, Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance Company issued Bosley notice that a $7,978.90 settlement for Bosley’s insurance claim on the Toyota Prius was available for him to access. Bosley got the money, and, in a follow up conversation with the informant, requested and authorized the informant to offer up to $2,000 to the automobile auction company where the Prius automobile was being held in order to buy the Prius back, and have the informant make the necessary repairs for Bosley according to the indictment.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones's spokesman issued a statement Monday reacting to the indictment.
"St. Louisans must have faith that their elected leaders are working for the betterment of our City - not their own personal gain and self-interest. Mayor Jones is reviewing the indictment and will monitor the case involving the former alderman as it makes its way through the judicial system," according to the statement.
Board of Aldermen President Megan Green also issued a statement reacting to Bosley's indictment.
“This new board has a shared commitment to becoming a more transparent legislative body—one that understands building trust with residents is an active and ongoing process.
“With those things in mind, the board created and passed new, internal rules that govern how we work. We established clear legislative goals for each Aldermanic Committee so we stay focused on the issues that matter to residents. And we're making our work more visible by updating the chambers and the Kennedy Hearing Room to host hybrid public hearings.
“This is a start—but I think it's a good start.”
Bosley took office in April 2017. He comes from a family with long political ties to the St. Louis community.
His father Freeman Bosley Sr. was the longest-sitting alderman in St. Louis City, his brother Freeman Bosley Jr. was the first African American mayor of St. Louis, his sister LaKeySha Bosley is a state representative and his mother Lucinda Frazier is a committeewoman.
Bosley has been very vocal about crime and safety in his neighborhood -- which contains the College Hill, Fairground, Hyde Park, Jeff-Vander-Lou, O'Fallon, Old North St. Louis and St. Louis Place neighborhoods.
In December, Bosley accused a woman of trying to carjack him while he was checking trash cans in his ward following citizen complaints. He went on Facebook live following the alleged attack, and the woman can be seen laying in the snow.
She was arrested and charged. She spent a week in jail and missed spending Christmas with her children, according to her family.
She was then released and charges were dropped after sources familiar with the investigation told 5 On Your Side police found surveillance video showing Bosley struck the woman with his car moments before the Facebook live video began. Police applied for charges of filing a false report and assault against Bosley, but former St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner's office declined to issue charges citing a lack of evidence in the case.
Bosley's sister, state Rep. LaKeySha Bosley, supported Gardner after the Missouri Attorney General filed a lawsuit to remove Gardner from office this year, accusing her of neglecting her duties.
Years of accusations from crime victims, defendants and their families came to a head when a 17-year-old girl was struck by a man who had violated his house arrest unchecked struck her with his car and severed her legs. Gardner claimed her prosecutors asked to revoke the man's bond, but court transcripts proved they never objected to keeping the suspect on house arrest despite almost 100 violations.
"You have to prove neglect and the proof is not there," LaKeySha Bosley told 5 On Your Side's Mark Maxwell during an episode of The Record. "Circuit Attorney Gardner has done all that she can in light of the situation.
"It's a tragedy what happened to the young lady's family, but if we're talking about the process, the process in and of itself is, it's up to the judges to dismiss bail or let a person out on bail or bond...We have to be very cognitive of pointing blame if we don't know what the full process is."
Gardner resigned May 16.