City of St. Louis Protects Tornado Victims with Launch of Contractor Fraud Legal Task Force

Today, Mayor Cara Spencer announced the formation of the Contractor Fraud Legal Task Force, powered through the efforts of respected local attorneys, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (Legal Services), and the Missouri Attorney General's Office (AGO). This initiative, spearheaded by the Mayor's Office, is a proactive effort to support residents recovering from the devastating tornado on May 16, 2025, who have been further victimized by scammers.

"It is truly reprehensible that anyone would target our residents when they are at their most vulnerable, exploiting their recovery journey for personal gain. I am profoundly grateful to this outstanding team for stepping up to marshal their skills and expertise to ensure that our neighbors are not alone as they rebuild, and that those who prey on them will be held accountable," said Mayor Spencer.

The City has identified a critical need to address increasing reports of contractor fraud. Many residents, already coping with the loss of property and rebuilding challenges, have faced additional hardship due to predatory practices. The Task Force was established to provide essential legal support to these victims and to ensure that bad actors are deterred from taking advantage of residents during their most vulnerable moments.

This Task Force is a collaborative effort between the City of St. Louis, a group of dedicated and respected volunteer legal professionals, Legal Services, and the Missouri AGO, who have all committed their time and expertise to this cause. The recruitment for this initiative was led by local attorney Celeste Vossmeyer.

"The mayor was hearing these awful stories out in the tornado recovery zone and I knew there was a way the lawyers I knew could help," said Celeste Vossmeyer, Attorney and Recruitment Task Lead. "When I began asking other attorneys, the answer was an immediate yes across the board. We are all from St. Louis and we want to help. This is our way of defending many of our neighbors who have been victimized by the tornado and again by shady contractors."

This effort also showcases continued partnership between the City of St. Louis and the Missouri AGO to center the safety of residents. The AGO's Consumer Protection Team will support this initiative by sharing information on contractor fraud complaints they receive with Legal Services intake volunteers for assessment and consideration. The Missouri AGO's Consumer Protection Team will also stand by to receive referrals for cases that warrant additional state resources or involve repeat offenders.

"Families in St. Louis shouldn't have to fear that a home repair will turn into a financial disaster. Contractor fraud can drain hard-earned money and life savings, and our office is working to protect victims and recover what they are owed," said Attorney General Catherine Hanaway. "Strong partnerships are essential to combat fraud and make a lasting difference in our communities, and we are proud to support this effort. If you cheat Missouri consumers, you should know we are paying attention, and we will hold bad actors accountable."

The Task Force will operate in partnership with Legal Services' attorneys. Volunteer attorneys will receive referrals, conduct intake screenings of residents, and refer cases to the corps of volunteer attorneys. Once referred, the legal professionals will conduct further intake and review processes to assess candidates for representation.

"Legal Services is proud to collaborate on this much-needed task force," said Shawn Caruso, Senior Attorney, Tornado Recovery at Legal Services. "Through our Consumer Law and Neighborhood Advocacy programs, we have been working diligently to serve survivors impacted by the 2025 tornado with various tornado-related issues, and we are eager to advance our efforts to help residents who are victims of contractor fraud."

The volunteer attorneys include respected local civil and commercial litigators as well as public interest, government, and appellate practice leaders:

• Pete Woods - Haar & Woods, LLP
  • A seasoned litigator with roughly four decades of experience, Pete Woods focuses his practice on business litigation, family law, and real estate disputes. He handles complex state and federal trials and appeals, often specializing in high-stakes business valuations, contract disputes, and property rights. Woods is also widely recognized for his community and civic leadership in the St. Louis area, including co-founding initiatives focused on racial reconciliation.
• Timothy Tevlin - Sandberg Phoenix
  • A shareholder at Sandberg Phoenix, Timothy Tevlin is a dedicated trial lawyer specializing in high-exposure products liability defense, complex business litigation, and consumer fraud disputes. He represents businesses and corporate shareholders across state and federal courts and additionally defends civil rights claims within specialized healthcare settings.
• Chris Clark - Thompson Coburn, LLP
  • Christopher L. Clark is a commercial litigator who assists businesses in navigating complex commercial legal challenges. His extensive courtroom background includes serving as a federal judicial law clerk and working as an Assistant Circuit Attorney in the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office, where he prosecuted major criminal offenses. He has also been involved in Missouri public and policy affairs.
• Brent Dulle - Husch Blackwell
  • Serving as the firm's Pro Bono Counsel for Civil Rights, Brent Dulle coordinates and leads civil rights litigation and pro bono initiatives. Before shifting his focus entirely to pro bono advocacy, Dulle spent 15 years within the City of St. Louis Law Department, where he served as a manager and primary trial attorney defending the city in negligence torts and civil rights lawsuits.
• Tim O'Connell - Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, LLP
  • As a partner at BCLP, Timothy O'Connell handles matters spanning real estate, public-private partnerships, financial services, and class-action defense. He possesses a deep background in public policy, having previously served as Chief of Staff to the Mayor of St. Louis and legal counsel to the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. O'Connell is highly regarded for his civic contributions, particularly his pro bono leadership regarding St. Louis housing and vacancy initiatives.
• Sheila Greenbaum - Capes Sokol
  • Sheila Greenbaum is a senior counsel widely celebrated for her expertise in appellate law, complex civil litigation, and employment law. Prior to her work in private practice, she accumulated nearly 30 years of public sector experience, including a 15-year tenure as the Director of the Staff Attorneys Office for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Greenbaum is a deeply influential St. Louis civic leader, having served as the president of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis and on the boards of the ACLU.
• James Crowe - Retired, U.S. Attorney's Office, Criminal Division
  • Described by colleagues as the historic "backbone" of the federal prosecutor's office in St. Louis, Jim Crowe spent over 40 years with the Department of Justice. He served as the Chief of the Criminal Division for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri for three decades. Crowe specialized in high-profile prosecutions involving white-collar crime, organized crime, major financial fraud, and public corruption.

"The City of St. Louis is going to great lengths to assist residents in the tornado recovery zone," said former U.S. Attorney Jim Crowe. "Our help as private legal experts, working for free, can greatly enhance this work. I have spent a lifetime prosecuting white-collar crime. Our team will go after them if it warrants criminal charges at the state or local level."

This public-private partnership is a commitment to ensuring that recovery, repair, and rebuilding efforts are conducted ethically and that residents have the necessary legal resources to defend their rights.

Residents who may be victims of contractor fraud due to the tornado are encouraged to go to https://lsem.help/recoveryintake. Any other attorneys who are interested in providing pro bono legal support to our community's most vulnerable members are enthusiastically encouraged to join Legal Services' Volunteer Lawyer Program. Learn more about volunteering at https://lsem.org/volunteer/.

More information regarding the Contractor Fraud Legal Task Force, including how residents can apply to see if they are eligible to receive services through this initiative, will be made available soon on the https://lsem.org website and www.stlrecovers.com under the "Get Help" tab.