A St. Louis County jail administrator and previous administrative assistant to a former St. Louis County Council member is facing federal wire fraud charges in what an indictment describes as a pandemic relief kickback scheme.
Anthony 鈥淭ony鈥� Weaver following a tumultuous week in local politics that saw three St. Louis aldermen charged in a separate bribery scheme. Weaver pleaded not guilty and declined to comment as he left the federal courthouse in downtown St. Louis.
St. Louis County Executive Sam Page hired Weaver as a for the county's Department of Justice Services in December 2019. Weaver had previously worked for former Councilwoman Rochelle Walton Gray.
on Tuesday. A Page spokesman said the fact that the businesses in question never received the requested funds proved that controls put in place for the program 鈥減revented any theft of taxpayer funds, and the indictments are not related to work he was doing for the County Executive in Justice Services.鈥�
Weaver was paid more than $82,000 a year in the change management coordinator role, according to . Former members of the Justice Services Advisory Board, which helps oversee the county jail, told 漏 2024 外网天堂 they did not believe Weaver had the necessary experience.
According to the indictment, in May 2020, Weaver approached a man identified as John Smith, who owns several local businesses, with a plot to fraudulently apply for grants worth $15,000 through the county鈥檚 Small Business Relief Program.
The Small Business Relief Program granted federal CARES Act funds to small businesses at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The indictment says Weaver told the business that his former boss on the council, identified only as Jane Doe, needed to know the names of Smith鈥檚 companies as she made decisions on the funding.
According to the indictment, John Smith owned a mechanic shop, a laundromat, a supermarket, a gas station and a construction company.
Weaver told Smith that Jane Doe鈥檚 office would 鈥渄o what I tell them to do鈥� regarding awarding the grants and told him to lie about the pandemic's effects on his laundromat.
鈥淒id you have any business interruption during the Corona for the laundromat?鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think so,鈥� Smith said.
鈥漎ou don鈥檛 want to say that,鈥� Weaver replied. 鈥淵ou want to let them think you was closed, you had to lay off one of your employees.鈥�
Weaver then filled out applications for four loans on behalf of Smith鈥檚 business over the next several weeks, the indictment says. Federal officials say he falsely claimed the businesses were closed during the pandemic.
The pair agreed to split the money, the indictment says. Smith and Weaver also discussed ways to avoid getting caught. Weaver warned Smith on one occasion not to use political donations to pay kickbacks or use cellphones to submit grant applications, according to the indictment.
At one point, Weaver worried the government had bugged the pair's conversations, noting that was how former St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger got caught, the indictment says.
The applications for Smith鈥檚 businesses were not approved. Weaver told Smith he could try again during the next round of funding, the indictment says.
The indictment also accuses Weaver of approaching other businesses in a similar scheme, but only two other companies agreed to the kickback scheme.
Only one grant application Weaver helped with was successful. Weaver complained to Smith he was paid just $300 for his help, according to the indictment.
鈥淓verything they鈥檝e got over there (St. Louis County) we need to get some of 鈥� that鈥檚 my attitude,鈥� Weaver said.
Weaver faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is prosecuting the case. Last week, a federal grand jury indicted St. Louis Board of Alderman President Lewis Reed and former Aldermen Jeffrey Boyd and John Collins-Muhammad in a years-long bribery scheme. Goldsmith is also handling that case.
Walton Gray could not be reached for comment.
