A federal jury in St. Louis has convicted former St. Louis Alderman Brandon Bosley on charges of wire fraud and making false statements to the FBI. The verdict was delivered Friday in U.S. District Court.
Bosley, 38, was found guilty of three counts of felony wire fraud and one count of lying to federal investigators. The case stemmed from a September 2021 incident involving Bosley’s 2010 Toyota Prius, which was struck while parked.
Evidence presented at trial showed that after being informed by the other driver’s insurance company in February 2022 that his damages would be covered, Bosley developed a plan to inflate the repair costs. He contacted the owner of the auto repair shop who had sold him the car for $500 and asked for an inflated repair estimate to be submitted to the insurer. During their conversation, which was recorded, Bosley instructed the business owner to “Mark that (expletive) all the way up,” and offered a bribe in return.
Bosley also discussed potentially buying back the totaled vehicle and paying only the actual repair costs, which were estimated between $2,000 and $2,200, allowing him to keep both the car and a significant sum from the insurance payout.
When the insurance company questioned an initial estimate of about $6,800, a second estimate for $4,333 was submitted. Ultimately, Bosley received a payment of $7,978.90 after the company agreed to total the car.
In March 2023, during an interview with FBI agents attended by his lawyer, jurors determined that Bosley lied multiple times. He denied seeing or requesting inflated repair estimates and claimed no knowledge of false billing.
The trial began with jury selection on Tuesday. Sentencing is set for April 28. Each wire fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; making a false statement can result in up to five years.
The investigation was led by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hal Goldsmith and Matthew Martin prosecuted the case.
