ST. LOUIS, Missouri — Federal prosecutors are investigating the St. Louis City Tow Lot after whistleblowers revealed systemic corruption, including millions of dollars in missing vehicles and tens of thousands in unaccounted cash.
A city audit released in March found that 568 of 1,133 vehicles — with an estimated value of nearly $5 million — were missing from inventory. Additionally, more than $80,000 in cash was unaccounted for, while 33% of tow tickets were either missing, incomplete or showed incorrect amounts.
Four years after initial complaints surfaced in a 5 On Your Side I-Team expose, the dysfunctional accounting systems were never addressed, according to former employees who faced retaliation for speaking out…