Former St. Louis police officer enters plea of guilty in fraud case

DOJ Press December 7, 2021

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ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk accepted a plea of guilty from former St. Louis Metropolitan Police Officer Brad Stephens for 3 counts of Mail Fraud by obtaining taxpayer moneys from the Tower Grove South Concerned Citizen Special Business District (“Tower Grove South”) by means of material false representations. Sentencing is scheduled for March 11, 2022.

According to the plea agreement, Stephens was employed as a police officer by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (“SLMPD”) in St. Louis, Missouri, and had been employed by the SLMPD since October 6, 2014.

Tower Grove South was established to provide special police and/or security for the protection and enjoyment of the property owners and the public within the district. The administration and operations of the business district are taxpayer funded. City Wide Security (“CWS”) is a private company that contracts with businesses and organizations to provide private security patrols. CWS contracted to provide security patrols in the Tower Grove South Neighborhood beginning during 2010.

Stephens was employed by CWS beginning in approximately 2015 to work during some of his off-duty hours to patrol the Tower Grove South Neighborhood. Stephens falsely represented to CWS certain days and shifts he agreed to work as part of the CWS security patrol in the Tower Grove South Neighborhood when, in fact, Stephens did not actually work those assigned days and shifts. During 2018, Stephens falsely represented that he worked 93 days, and during 2019, Stephens falsely represented that he worked 76 days. CWS was paid approximately $50,000 by the Tower Grove South organization based upon Stephens’ false representations, all taxpayer funds.