This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, May 23, 2011 - Kinloch Mayor Keith Conway faces a federal indictment that accuses him of improperly using city money for personal expenses, including utility bills, vacation cruises to the Bahamas, and buying a time-share condominium in Florida.
According to the office of U.S. Attorney Richard G. Callahan this morning, Conway was misspending money as late as March 31.
Among other things, the indictment says: "Between January 2009 and March 31, 2011, Conway used the city funds to pay for personal Bahamas vacation cruises, airline tickets to Las Vegas and Ft. Lauderdale, down payment and loan payments on a time-share condominium in Florida, personal credit-card bills, personal federal income taxes, as well as Ameren electric bills for his personal residence."
Conway, 47, was indicted by a grand jury on counts of wire fraud and federal program theft.
Callahan's office said, "If convicted, wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000; federal program theft carries a maximum of ten years prison and/or fines up to $250,000."
Added the release: This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, St. Louis County Police Department Intelligence Unit, U.S. Department of Labor office of inspector general and the Department of Justice office of inspector general."
The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith, who has handled a number of public corruption cases in the last couple years.
