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Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. District Court.
St. Louis County Counselor Beth Orwick released three federal subpoenas relating to the investigation of a former jail employee Monday afternoon, nearly two weeks after charges against former county employee Anthony Weaver were made public.
The U.S. Attorney's Office announced Tuesday, June 7, that it indicted Weaver, a former St. Louis County Jail change-management coordinator, for helping an unnamed businessman fraudulently apply for COVID-19 relief funds in exchange for money. Weaver faces four wire fraud charges.
Orwick released three subpoenas issued by the U.S. attorney’s office for information on 14 businesses that applied for a grant through the county’s CARES Small Business Relief Program.
“I indicated at last week’s council meeting that I would continue to evaluate the information known and update my response as necessary,” Orwick said in a statement. “After weighing the legal and policy considerations, and following additional correspondence with the federal government, it is my opinion that closure of these records is no longer warranted.”
In the three subpoenas, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith requested all records relating to requests for COVID-19 pandemic grants or loans from several businesses and individuals, including Mally’s Laundromat and Supermarket, Fahrenheit Restaurant, Mystic Grille, J&L Enterprises LLC, Ella’s Kitchen and others.
Of the 14 businesses, four received a $15,000 grant, the maximum amount allowed, according to county officials. The other 10 did not supply all the required documentation to support their applications.
It is not clear which of the 14 businesses ultimately received the relief money or if Weaver played any role in those loan applications.
The initial press release issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office on June 7 said that Weaver claimed to have helped 10 other companies apply for grants, only two of which agreed to kick back money to him, and only one grant was approved. The indictment itself says that "none of John Doe's businesses received SBR funds."
Four of the businesses included in one subpoena — Mally’s Laundromat, Mally’s Supermarket, Mally 3 LLC and Mally’s Supermarket — seem to have ties to Mohammed Almuttan, the owner of multiple businesses and properties involved in separate federal indictments against three former St. Louis aldermen. Almuttan is also presumed to be the John Doe in Weaver’s indictment whom Weaver attempted to help receive COVID-19 relief money.
The county counselor’s office received the three subpoenas on September 20 and September 28 of last year and January 5 of this year.
County officials originally closed the subpoenas, citing an ongoing federal investigation. Last week, St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said the federal subpoenas would remain closed records after County Councilman Tim Fitch (R-Manchester) requested the county make public all federal subpoenas received by the county since January 1, 2020. Page sent a letter to Goldsmith asking if the subpoenas could remain closed. The letter, which Page made public, also managed to blast his political opponents Fitch and Jane Dueker.
In an email last week, Goldsmith told Orwick’s office it was up to the county whether or not to make the subpoenas public.
“There are situations where the correct legal and policy decision is to close records because disclosure could have adverse effects, including where disclosures would interfere with federal grand jury investigations,” Orwick said in a statement Monday. “It is necessary to be thoughtful and deliberate about balancing the various legal and policy considerations in these situations because once a subpoena is disclosed, we cannot undo the decision.”
