Kinloch Mayor Keith Conway Pleads Guilty to Fraud, Embezzlement, and Witness Tampering

ST. LOUIS, MO—The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that Kinloch Mayor Keith Conway entered a guilty plea to charges of using Kinloch city funds to pay personal expenses, fund personal travel and purchase a Florida vacation condominium timeshare. He also plead guilty to attempting to influence Kinloch City officials to provide false information to federal law enforcement about the criminal charges pending against him.

According to court documents and statements made in Court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith, between January 2009 and March 31, 2011, Conway stole, diverted and embezzled city funds to pay for several personal Bahamas vacation cruises, airline tickets to Las Vegas and Ft. Lauderdale for himself and friends, the down payment and loan payments on a timeshare condominium in South Florida, personal credit card bills, personal federal income taxes, as well as Ameren electric bills for a city-owned residence where he was living rent free. Further, following his original indictment on the fraud and embezzlement charges, and while on bond, Conway provided false information to Kinloch City officials, including several members of the Board of Aldermen, relative to the criminal charges pending against him. He urged those officials to provide false information about those charges contained in the original indictment. Conway was originally indicted on the fraud charges in May, 2011 and was charged in a superseding indictment on June 2, 2011, with the additional witness tampering charge.

KEITH CONWAY, of Kinloch, Missouri, pled guilty to one felony count of wire fraud, one felony count of federal program funds theft and one felony count of witness tampering before United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel. Sentencing has been set for November 18, 2011.

Wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison; federal program funds theft carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison; and witness tampering carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. Each charge is also subject to fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.