A 57-year-old Nigerian-born engineer and former building inspector with the City of St. Louis, Missouri, Adebanjo “Banjo” Popoola, has pleaded guilty in the United States to wire fraud after admitting that he diverted about $1.64 million meant for the repair and rehabilitation of dilapidated buildings to himself and family members.
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Popoola pleaded guilty on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, before the United States District Court in St. Louis to three counts of wire fraud.
At the time of the offence, Popoola worked as a building division inspector with the City of St. Louis and was responsible for managing key aspects of two public property rehabilitation programmes: Stable Communities STL and Prop NS.
Stable Communities STL was funded through federal American Rescue Plan Act funds and was designed to support privately owned properties, while Prop NS was meant for residential properties owned by the city’s Land Reutilization Authority and funded through city-issued general obligation bonds.
As part of his official duties, Popoola was responsible for identifying properties for rehabilitation or stabilisation, developing the scope of work, seeking and reviewing bids, awarding contracts, inspecting work purportedly completed on each property, and certifying completion before funds were disbursed to contractors.
Prosecutors said Popoola admitted that he caused public contracts to be awarded to companies secretly connected to him, including Farst Construction LLC, which was incorporated in Missouri in October 2022 by his sister, a Texas resident who had never visited St. Louis.
His future wife also set up another company, Premier Finish Contractors LLC, in February 2021.
According to the plea, from about June 12, 2023, through November 22, 2024, Popoola caused Farst Construction to receive $1.4 million in construction contracts under the Stable Communities STL programme.
He also steered $339,500 in Prop NS contracts to Farst between February 22, 2023, and March 8, 2024.
Prosecutors further said that between October 9, 2023, and May 7, 2024, Popoola steered about $1.3 million from the Stable Communities STL programme and about $853,100 from the Prop NS programme to Premier Finish Contractors.
Of the $7.19 million in ARPA funds disbursed through Stable Communities STL, Farst received $1.79 million and Premier received $1.53 million, representing about 42 per cent of the total funds disbursed.
Private building owners and representatives of the Land Reutilization Authority later reported that on several projects, Farst and Premier failed to perform the rehabilitation and stabilisation work for which they were paid.
Despite that, prosecutors said Popoola falsely certified that the work had been completed properly and in full, thereby enabling funds to be released.
After paying subcontractors for purported work on the projects, Popoola, his sister and his wife shared and personally used about $1.64 million.
The funds were allegedly deposited into joint bank accounts Popoola operated with his wife and into accounts connected to his arrangement with his sister.
Popoola admitted using funds from the Prop NS and Stable Communities STL programmes to pay residential mortgages, purchase and repair vehicles, fund travel expenses, pay for his September 2023 wedding in Hawaii, gamble at casinos, and cover dining and entertainment expenses.
He also admitted concealing his connection to the companies in city Employee Secondary Employment Questionnaires in 2022 and 2023.
In the forms, Popoola falsely stated that he had no personal interest, directly or indirectly, in any contract with the City of St. Louis and that he had no interest in any business.
Prosecutors also said his sister and wife falsely certified on contract documents that no city officer, employee or member of the governing body involved in the projects had any private interest, direct or indirect, in the contracts.
Popoola is scheduled to be sentenced on October 6.
Wire fraud carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both imprisonment and fine. He is also expected to be ordered to repay the diverted funds.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with substantial cooperation from the City of St. Louis Comptroller’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Hal Goldsmith is prosecuting the case.
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