A former building inspector for the City of St. Louis, Adebanjo “Banjo” Popoola, was indicted on March 12 with three counts of wire fraud after being accused of diverting $1.67 million intended for city building repairs to himself and relatives.
The indictment alleges that Popoola misused funds from two city programs meant to renovate and stabilize privately-owned buildings by steering contracts to companies owned by his sister and wife. The case raises concerns about oversight in the administration of public funds designated for community improvement projects.
According to the indictment filed in U.S. District Court in St. Louis, Popoola directed approximately $1.4 million from the Stable Communities STL program and about $339,500 from the Prop NS program to Farst Construction LLC, a company registered by his sister who lives in Texas and has no construction background. He also caused about $1.3 million from Stable Communities STL and around $1 million from Prop NS to be awarded to Premier Finish Contractors LLC, a business incorporated by his longtime partner and later wife.
Of the contracts awarded through these programs, Popoola allegedly ensured that Farst received 13 out of 59 contracts under Stable Communities STL and eight out of 144 under Prop NS, while Premier received ten under Stable Communities STL and twenty-three under Prop NS—amounting to a significant share of total awards from both programs. The indictment states that Farst and Premier did not perform contracted work on multiple properties but that Popoola falsely certified completion to the city’s Comptroller.
The indictment further details how Popoola used joint bank accounts with his wife and sister to deposit city funds, which were then spent on personal expenses including mortgage payments, vehicle purchases, travel—including a Hawaii wedding—casino gambling, dining, and entertainment.
Popoola is accused of lying on official documents regarding any personal interest in city contracts; similar false statements were attributed to his sister and wife on contract forms. The charges are accusations at this stage; all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The FBI investigated the case with cooperation from the City of St. Louis Comptroller’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is prosecuting.
