May 20, 2025
Almost four years after longtime civil servant and whistleblower Angelica Woods first spoke to local news station KSDK about the corrupt practices she witnessed after a year working in the city’s tow lot, the once-buried report has finally come to light.
Woods was a dispatcher for the tow lot, and in that time witnessed city staff setting aside vehicles for friends and family, then pocketing the payment for themselves. Her suit, filed in 2021, also alleged that these employees forged paperwork to cover their tracks.
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At the time, Woods told KSDK, “People pretty much made up rules as they went."
Woods was fired from her role for speaking out, though she had worked for the city in various roles for 23 years at the time of the suit. Now in 2025, she has finally won the modest sum she sued the city for, and has paved the way for two other city employees to come forward with their stories.
"Because a lot of cash was being taken under the table here, it was a lot of corruption within the city," Woods said about the way she and other city staff were treated for trying to do the right thing.
Audit report on the tow lot
A city audit was quietly released in March of this year, finding that 568 of 1,133 vehicles (that’s 50%) were missing from the inventory — accounting for nearly $5 million in missing city revenue. The audit also found that more than $80,000 in cash was unaccounted for, and 33% of tow tickets were missing, incomplete or had incorrect amounts listed for vehicle sales or value.
Newly-elected Mayor Cara Spencer responded to the situation, stating, "This audit … should not have been swept under the rug."
"A lot of the employees was taking the cars and benefiting for themselves," said George Hooker, another longtime city employee who previously worked as the auctioneer for the tow lot.
In spite of the fact that Hooker signed paperwork that he would be protected as a government whistleblower, he still faced consequences.
"They promised me that I was protected under it, but I still got moved," he said. "Betherny is the one that transferred me. She transferred me because I was complaining to her about what was going on down here."
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Former Streets Director Betherny Williams transferred Hooker to the city’s refuse division, and he claims Williams buried him in difficult work assignments as a retaliation.
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Systemic corruption
"Once I started ruffling feathers, they got me out of there pretty quickly," said James Mundy, another city employee who briefly served as commissioner of the tow lot. He was also transferred for trying to speak up to his superiors about what he saw.
Speaking to KSDK in 2021, Lynette Petruska, Angelica Woods’ attorney, said, "What the city is really doing here is they're sending a message loud and clear. We've got this whistleblower protection on paper, but don't do the right thing and don't blow the whistle because if you blow the whistle, you're going to pay.”
The city’s audit from March recommends that payments at the tow lot be converted to online systems instead of the current cash payments — a recommendation that seems long overdue in 2025. The audit also recommends implementing a digital system to track all records, which also raises questions about why city staff have been using paper-based methods for so long. The city’s Comptroller Donna Baringer forwarded the audit findings and additional evidence collected to the federal prosecutors investigating the case.
Impact on St. Louisans
KSDK reported in 2021 that a special audit from that time found up to 150 cars appeared to leave the tow lot for free between 2018 and that year, a figure that did not include stolen cars that were released to their owners. Almost $78,000 in tow and storage fees were also waived for no reason.
However, a number of citizens came forward after the news station broke the story and claimed that their stolen cars were not retrievable from the tow lot for free — despite a city ordinance that allows owners to collect their stolen vehicles without a charge within a 72-hour time frame.
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Protection for whistleblowers
According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the federal government alone loses an estimated $233 to $521 billion to fraud each year. These numbers are based on an assessment covering 2018 to 2022, and the GAO reported that “no area of the federal government is immune to fraud.”
However, no matter which level of government a civil servant works for, the US has laws in place to protect whistleblowers. Both government employees and private sector employees can find the info they need on whistleblowers.gov to file a complaint and understand their rights.
When whistleblowers file a complaint, the government site recommends keeping a paper trail of related communication with your employer, including emails, meeting notes, etc. The Office of the Inspector General also maintains a hotline where federal employees can report corruption. City and state-level OIGs are also the first line of defense if you have evidence of bribery, conflicts of interest, or other criminal activity.
Finally, if you are aware of a dangerous situation in your workplace, such as an employee who is retaliating against others using physical violence or threats of violence, be sure to call the police right away to report the crime.
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Rebecca Holland is dedicated to creating clear, accessible advice for readers navigating the complexities of money management, investing and financial planning. Her work has been featured in respected publications including the Financial Post, The Globe & Mail, and the Edmonton Journal.
