Prosecutors OK With Probation for Brandon Bosley in False Reporting Case

The former St. Louis alderman was in court this morning

Mar 27, 2024 at 11:22 am

Alderman Brandon Bosley going door-to-door. BENJAMIN SIMON

The strange incident where then-St. Louis Alderman Brandon Bosley accused a woman of trying to rob him — which prosecutors say was a lie — will likely not result in jail time.

A prosecutor with the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office said in court today that they are open to Bosley receiving a six-month suspended sentence in the case. However, that would only be in exchange for his guilty plea for making a false report.

At the hearing, Bosley served as his own attorney and signaled he wants to see the evidence against him before he makes his next move. Judge Catherine Dierker gave the former alderman some practical advice about how to file paperwork in the case.

Bosley was hit with the misdemeanor last November, though the charge stems from an odd event that took place almost a year before that. In December 2022, the then-alderman livestreamed a nine-minute video on Facebook of what he said was the immediate aftermath of an attempted robbery — an attempted robbery that, apparently, wasn’t.

In the video, a woman can be seen lying on the ground in freezing temperatures. Bosley claimed that after she was unsuccessful in robbing him, she tried to rob someone else but got knocked to the ground.

Later that night, Bosley told police the same story he'd told on the livestream. Those statements led to the woman being arrested and charged.

Police initially filed attempted robbery charges against her, but then dropped that charge and later filed one against Bosley for making a false report.

A prosecutor said in court that his office recommends the six-month suspended sentence in the case if Bosley pleads guilty. Bosley replied that he hadn't received any of the evidence against him. The assistant circuit attorney acknowledged that was accurate and said his office would try to get Bosley those materials later today.

Outside the courthouse, Bosley declined to talk to the media.

Bosley is also facing federal charges related to wire fraud and bribery. After a shake-up in his representation in that case, he is now represented in it by attorney Diane Dragan.