Trial Commences for Former St. Louis Alderman Charged with Insurance Fraud

A federal trial is currently in progress for Brandon Bosley, a former alderman from St. Louis, Missouri, who stands accused of defrauding an insurance company during his time in office.

<p style="font-weight: 400;">Bosley is charged with orchestrating a scheme to fraudulently obtain funds from his insurance provider by artificially inflating the repair costs of a vehicle he was using. According to federal prosecutors, the allegations date back to March 2021 when Bosley acquired a Prius from a local businessman who owned both a convenience store in Bosley’s ward and a repair shop elsewhere. The former alderman paid just $500 in cash for the Prius, which had an estimated value of around $10,000. Notably, Bosley did not register or title the vehicle in his name.</p>

<p style="font-weight: 400;">Later that same year, while parked in front of his office, the Prius was struck by another vehicle. Following this incident, Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance, the other driver’s insurance company, reached out to Bosley regarding the damages. It is alleged that Bosley and the businessman conspired to create an inflated estimate for the repair costs, aiming to have the insurance company declare the car a total loss, as stated in the indictment.</p>

<p style="font-weight: 400;">In a further twist, Bosley requested the businessman to prepare a second, legitimate repair estimate, in case he decided to buy back the car from the insurance company. “Of course, you know their whole business is based on trying to maintain as many dollars as they can,” Bosley reportedly told the businessman, according to excerpts from the indictment reviewed by media outlet STLNPR. “F*** that insurance company. I don’t give two s***ts about ‘em. I’m not bothered by hitting them with as much as we can. I told them I’m an elected official.”</p>

<p style="font-weight: 400;">The indictment claims that Missouri Farm Bureau ultimately paid Bosley approximately $8,000 for the vehicle based on the inflated repair estimate. Following this, Bosley allegedly instructed the businessman to offer the insurance company $2,000 to buy the car back.</p>

<p style="font-weight: 400;">Bosley, who represented St. Louis’ 3<sup>rd</sup> Ward, faced a setback in his political career when he lost his bid for re-election in 2023. He now faces four counts of wire fraud, each punishable by up to 20 years in prison, along with a false statement charge that could add another five years to his sentence.</p>

<p style="font-weight: 400;">Jury selection for the trial was completed on Tuesday, albeit with some challenges. Several potential jurors expressed concerns about their ability to remain impartial, citing negative experiences with insurance companies when filing claims.</p>

<p class="tagtag">
    <span class="tagtag">Topics</span>
    <a href="https://www.insurancejournal.com/fraud/" class="btn btn-sm btn-primary tagtag" style="color: #fff; padding: 2px 8px; text-decoration: none; margin: 0 2px;">Fraud</a>
</p>

A federal trial is currently in progress for Brandon Bosley, a former alderman from St. Louis, Missouri, who stands accused of defrauding an insurance company during his time in office.

<p style="font-weight: 400;">Bosley is charged with orchestrating a scheme to fraudulently obtain funds from his insurance provider by artificially inflating the repair costs of a vehicle he was using. According to federal prosecutors, the allegations date back to March 2021 when Bosley acquired a Prius from a local businessman who owned both a convenience store in Bosley’s ward and a repair shop elsewhere. The former alderman paid just $500 in cash for the Prius, which had an estimated value of around $10,000. Notably, Bosley did not register or title the vehicle in his name.</p>

<p style="font-weight: 400;">Later that same year, while parked in front of his office, the Prius was struck by another vehicle. Following this incident, Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance, the other driver’s insurance company, reached out to Bosley regarding the damages. It is alleged that Bosley and the businessman conspired to create an inflated estimate for the repair costs, aiming to have the insurance company declare the car a total loss, as stated in the indictment.</p>

<p style="font-weight: 400;">In a further twist, Bosley requested the businessman to prepare a second, legitimate repair estimate, in case he decided to buy back the car from the insurance company. “Of course, you know their whole business is based on trying to maintain as many dollars as they can,” Bosley reportedly told the businessman, according to excerpts from the indictment reviewed by media outlet STLNPR. “F*** that insurance company. I don’t give two s***ts about ‘em. I’m not bothered by hitting them with as much as we can. I told them I’m an elected official.”</p>

<p style="font-weight: 400;">The indictment claims that Missouri Farm Bureau ultimately paid Bosley approximately $8,000 for the vehicle based on the inflated repair estimate. Following this, Bosley allegedly instructed the businessman to offer the insurance company $2,000 to buy the car back.</p>

<p style="font-weight: 400;">Bosley, who represented St. Louis’ 3<sup>rd</sup> Ward, faced a setback in his political career when he lost his bid for re-election in 2023. He now faces four counts of wire fraud, each punishable by up to 20 years in prison, along with a false statement charge that could add another five years to his sentence.</p>

<p style="font-weight: 400;">Jury selection for the trial was completed on Tuesday, albeit with some challenges. Several potential jurors expressed concerns about their ability to remain impartial, citing negative experiences with insurance companies when filing claims.</p>

<p class="tagtag">
    <span class="tagtag">Topics</span>
    <a href="https://www.insurancejournal.com/fraud/" class="btn btn-sm btn-primary tagtag" style="color: #fff; padding: 2px 8px; text-decoration: none; margin: 0 2px;">Fraud</a>
</p>