St. Louis Inspector Ripped Off $1.6M

⏱ 3 min read

Adebanjo “Banjo” Popoola, a former City of St. Louis building inspector, is facing federal charges after allegedly pilfering $1.67 million from programs meant to fix up the city’s worst properties. The scheme ran from 2021 through 2022, with Popoola allegedly diverting funds to companies secretly controlled by his sister and his then-girlfriend, now wife. He’s currently in custody and due in court Friday.

The feds say Popoola steered city contracts to Farst Construction LLC, a Missouri company registered in October 2022 by his sister – a Texas resident with no construction background. He also directed funds to Premier Finish Contractors LLC, set up in February 2021 by his longtime partner. Farst raked in around $1.4 million, and Premier pocketed roughly $339,500, all from the city’s Stable Communities STL and Prop NS programs. Popoola essentially rigged the system, using his position to line his family’s pockets.

The numbers are staggering. Of the nearly $8 million in contracts doled out through Stable Communities STL, Popoola’s companies got a whopping 42% – $2.7 million. He managed to grab roughly 24% ($1.33 million) of the $5.6 million in Prop NS contracts, too. Stable Communities was funded with federal American Rescue Plan Act money; Prop NS came from city bonds. The indictment alleges the work on many of these projects never happened, but Popoola signed off on it anyway, falsely certifying completion.

Popoola is charged with wire fraud, a crime that carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years per count. This isn’t just about stolen money; it’s about betraying the trust of a city desperate to rebuild its neglected neighborhoods.