A Nigerian United States, US-based building inspector, Adebanjo Popoola, is set to be sentenced October 6, after admitting diverting public funds meant for public buildings rehabilitation.
57 year old Popoola pleaded guilty to abusing his position while overseeing the Stable Communities STL and Prop NS rehabilitation programmes in St. Louis.
He directed contracts to two companies owned by his wife and sister, diverting about $1.64 million.
When he appeared at the U.S. District Court in St. Louis, the former building inspector with the City of St. Louis, admitted to three counts of wire fraud.
Last March, a U.S. grand jury had indicted Popoola, for fraudulently awarding multimillion-dollar construction contracts to his sister and wife in return for kickbacks.
The kickbacks were traced to a lavish wedding Mr Popoola held with his second wife in Hawaii, casino gambling, luxury car purchase and repairs and so on.
Court documents said his sister, a Texas resident who had never visited St. Louis, registered Farst Construction LLC in 2022, while his future wife established Premier Finish Contractors LLC in 2021.
Between 2022 and 2023, he had declared that he had no personal interest in any city contract or business, but court records show that the two companies received more than $3.8 million in city contracts.
This represents 42 per cent of the $7.19 million disbursed under the Stable Communities STL programme between 2023 and 2024.
Investigators found that several projects were either incomplete or not carried out as required, despite Popoola certifying that the work had been properly executed.
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After subcontractors were paid, prosecutors said Popoola, his wife and sister shared about $1.64 million, which he admitted spending on mortgage payments, vehicle purchases and repairs, travel, his September 2023 Hawaii wedding, casino gambling, dining and other personal expenses.
His wife and sister similarly certified that “No officer, employee, or member of the governing body of the City of St. Louis, Missouri who exercises any functions or responsibilities in connection with the carrying out of the Project to which this Contract pertains shall have any private interest, direct or indirect, in this contract.”
He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 6. Each wire fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both, and he will also be required to repay the diverted funds. The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the City of St. Louis Comptroller’s Office.
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