MyFox
 

Mr. Michael Grady's Blog

by mrmgrady from South St. Louis City

Last Post 27 days, 21 hours Ago


FBI, IRS Raid S & H Towing!
Aug 12, 2008 | 3:37 PM
Category: News
Report This Post

By Joe MahrBy Robert Patrick ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 08/12/2008
UPDATED 12:40 P.M.

ST. LOUIS -- FBI agents this morning raided the offices of St. Louis Metropolitan Towing., the company that provided previously impounded cars to the daughter of the former St. Louis police chief.

FBI and Internal Revenue Service agents arrived at the towing company about 9 o'clock this morning, according to construction workers across the street from the tow lot.

Federal agents were also searching the towing company's offices at its second impound lot on 13th street, as well as an affiliated company, Mo-Jo's Towing in Kirkwood.

Federal investigators are looking into the St. Louis police department's relationship with the towing company, which held a lucrative contract to impound thousands of vehicles a year. Those unclaimed after 30 days could be sold by the firm, which kept the profits.
 
After the Post-Dispatch began asking about the chief's daughter and towing practices, the department admitted last month that the daughter, Aimie Mokwa, and an unnamed group of officers got free use of some vehicles that had gone unclaimed in the impound lot. The free use, called "test drives," extended for weeks or months.
 
At the time, Chief Joe Mokwa insisted he didn't know anything about it until the spring, but the Post-Dispatch uncovered a 2002 accident report, handled by his department, in which officers noted Aimie Mokwa was driving a car registered to the sales arm of the towing company, known as Parks Auto Sales. The newspaper also found that Parks sold his daughter three cars at prices well below wholesale value. The ensuing controversy led Mokwa to retire last month, as department officials turned over records of their law firm's internal review to federal authorities.
 
Federal authorities, however, were reluctant to publicly acknowledge their investigation until this morning, after federal agents set up a command post vehicle right outside the company's offices. Agents searched inside the building and stood guard at the gate. About an hour into the search, agents drove an empty Penske rental truck onto the property and backed it into a service bay at the rear of the towing company's headquarters.
  RELATED LINKS bullet STORIES bullet Towing firm has old ties with city bullet Mokwa steps down, interim chief named bullet Mokwa's retirement statement bullet Joe Mokwa's tenure as St. Louis police chief bullet Interim chief had sought top job in 2001 bullet Police Board calls special meeting bullet Tow scandal threatens police chief bullet Mokwa: I did nothing wrong bullet Tow firm deals draw questions bullet Chief's daughter used seized cars bullet COLUMNS bullet BROWN: Something is broken at police headquarters bullet STATEMENTS bullet Mokwa's retirement statement bullet Mayor Slay's blog post on Mokwa bullet Statement of St. Louis Police Chief Joe Mokwa bullet VIDEO: Chief Mokwa's announcement bullet INTERACTIVE bullet Has your car been towed in St. Louis? bullet TALK: Should federal authorities investigate St. Louis police practices?
John Gillies, the head of the FBI's St. Louis office, confirmed that agents expected to search the company's main office for most of the day and expected the investigation to "continue for a while."  He confirmed the agency was "talking to a lot of people" but contradicted earlier news reports that anyone had been granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for cooperation.
 
Beyond raiding the towing company, the FBI is asking for the public's help in documenting the company's dealings with vehicle owners. The FBI posted a survey on its website asking for information from anyone whose vehicles were towed by St. Louis Metropolitan Towing or its affiliated companies, S&H Parking or Parks Auto Sales, in the past five  years. The survey can be found at http://stlouis.fbi.gov/publiccorruptionsurvey.htm
. Vehicle owners can also call the FBI at 800-CALL-FBI.
3 Comments |  Add a Comment

Member Comments Total Comments: 3
Page 1 of 1
mr_wildflower read my blog view my photos
Aug 12, 2008 | 3:40 PM

Put your hand in the cookie jar enough and you will eventually get caught...
Speedy62269 read my blog
Aug 12, 2008 | 5:24 PM

I can't wait to see the report on the raid.
b8kedbeans read my blog
Aug 13, 2008 | 11:17 AM

it is about time they ivestigate some of these tow yards. some are good some are really bad. i had a car towed by bob bolins after it was recovered after it was stolen and they charged me only $12.00 a day storage and only $60.00 for the tow in which it was not a bad price at all.
Page 1 of 1


Write your comment below:




mrmgrady

My new avitar is of my cat, "Max." I work in the insurance industry, but I am interested in healthcare, (I worked as an EMT for St. Louis EMS from 1984-1989 and was in the field for over 10 years) social welfare issues, (I have a bachelor's degree in Social Work from UMSL) politics, religions of all sorts and racial and cultural relations. I have a new cat named "Max" whom I picked up from the animal shelter. He is a younger version of "Socks" my old cat. I enjoy Classical and Jazz Music, although I cannot read music nor play any instrument. I love baseball, but I am not athletic. I love to watch the weather and even watch the NOAA weather radars while at work. Weather is sort of a hobby of mine. I am a "healthy skeptic" when it comes to politicians and all things political.

Member Since: 9/15/2006


 

View All Photos