ST. LOUIS – A city audit recently uncovered some serious concerns with the St. Louis City Tow Lot, findings that are now at the hands of federal investigators.
The audit, released in late March, found that 568 vehicles with an estimated cash value of nearly $5 million were missing from inventory.
Additionally, more than $80,000 in cash was unaccounted for, based on discrepancies between REJIS (Regional Justice Information Services) reports and the city’s internal accounting system. The audit also noted that nearly 33% of tow tickets were either missing, incomplete or listed incorrect amounts.
St. Louis Comptroller Donna Barringer, who took office last month, claims that standard procedures in place to prevent such problems existed, but were not adequately followed.
“After being briefed by our Internal Auditor and talking to the City Counselor, I determined the matter needed to be turned over to the Federal authorities for further criminal investigation, which I have done,” said Barringer via a May 2 news release. “The old way of doing business is over.”
One day earlier, Barringer sent a letter to federal St. Louis-based attorney Hal Goldsmith and said it was her “fiduciary duty to formally report these matters, which could potentially constitute criminal offenses.”
“We wish to assure you of our full cooperation in your forthcoming federal investigation into these matters,” the letter further stated. “We understand the serious of these potential irregularities and are prepared to provide any and all assistance necessary to facilitate a comprehensive inquiry.
The audit’s findings were based on information gathered from July 1, 2022 to Sept. 31, 2024. The tow lot in question is located at 7410 Hall Street.