Trial Underway for Ex-St. Louis Alderman Accused of Insurance Fraud

A federal trial is underway for a former St. Louis, Missouri alderman accused of defrauding an insurance company while in office.

Brandon Bosley is charged with orchestrating a fraud scheme to obtain money from his insurance company by falsely inflating the cost of repairs to a vehicle he was driving.

Federal prosecutors have alleged that in March 2021 Bosley obtained a Prius from a businessman who owned a convenience store in Bosley’s ward and a repair shop and used car lot elsewhere. Bosley paid $500 in cash for the Prius, which had an approximate value of $10,000. Bosley did not register or title the car in his own name.

Later that year, another car struck the Prius while it was parked in front of Bosley’s office. After the other driver’s insurance company, Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance, contacted Bosley about the damages, Bosley and the businessmen conspired to prepare an inflated estimate of the repair costs so the insurance company would total the car, according to the indictment.

Bosley asked the businessman to prepare a second, legitimate repair estimate in case Bosley wanted to buy back the car from the insurance company.

“Of course, you know their whole business is based on trying to maintain as many dollars as they can,” Bosley told the businessman according to excerpts of the indictment reviewed by media station STLNPR. “F*** that insurance company. I don’t give two s***ts about ‘ em. I’m not bothered by hitting them with as much as we can. I told them I’m an elected official.”

Missouri Farm Bureau paid Bosley approximately $8,000 for the vehicle based on the falsely inflated repair estimate, the indictment says. Bosley then asked the businessman to offer the insurance company $2,000 to buy the car back, prosecutors allege.

Bosley, who represented St. Louis’ 3^rd Ward, lost his bid for re-election in 2023.

Bosley faces four counts of wire fraud punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a false statement charge that carries up to five years.

Jury selection for the trial was completed Tuesday but not without some struggle.

According to Fox 2 News, several potential jurors questioned whether they could remain impartial given their negative views of insurers based on experiences of filing insurance claims.

Topics Fraud