Mo. political consultant faces stealing charges

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A political consultant is accused of stealing more than $220,000 from a St. Louis Community College campaign fund and using the money to buy two cars and an engagement ring.

Steven Wyatt Earp, 31, of Fenton, was arrested Tuesday on two counts of stealing more than $25,000 and two counts of stealing more than $500. Earp posted $100,000 bond.

Earp's lawyer, Clinton Wright, said Earp is innocent and will fight the charges, which were filed Monday.

Wright pointed fingers at the college's campaign committee but did not elaborate. The committee, which was made up of college employees and supporters, has been asking authorities to investigate the possible misuse of funds.

The campaign committee raised about $600,000 from donors to pass a property tax increase in April 2006. The referendum failed, but after the election, college officials and the committee noticed questionable payments. The FBI and St. Louis police have been investigating.

Earp, who says he is a descendant of the famous frontier marshal, was paid about $500,000 by the committee to oversee mailings, canvassing and campaigning. According to the criminal complaint, he falsely charged the committee on four separate occasions in March of last year.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported in one instance, he charged the committee $218,715 for postage of five mailings, but bank accounts and other records show he only paid $116,200 for postage, the complaint said.

The complaint, citing bank records and other sources, said Earp also charged the committee $130,720 for printing when he only paid $44,230 and $40,000 to pay canvassers when he only paid them $20,620.

Records show he charged $60,000 to pay $20,000 to three canvassing supervisors. Earp paid two of the supervisors -- his brother, John Earp, and his current wife, Tiffany -- that amount. But the third supervisor, Ramona Marshall, received only $2,000, so Earp overbilled for $18,000, the complaint said.

Court records say that Earp's contract indicated he would be paid a fee of $30,000 plus reimbursement of expenses, the charges say.

After the April 2006 election, Earp and his soon-to-be wife bought a Lexus and BMW, the complaint said, citing bank records. He also spent more than $10,000 for an engagement ring.

Earp told the Post-Dispatch in January that he had made a good living on recent political campaigns and that he bought the cars used, making payments on them.

Earp also deposited $90,000 into an account for Decrevi Inc., a company he owned and which was used to receive money from other clients and to pay other consultants, according to court records. Earp and his wife regularly took money out of the account as a "salary." He also withdrew several thousand dollars in cash for unknown purposes, the charges say.

Richard Wilkes, spokesman for the St. Louis police, said Tuesday that the police investigation into the campaign is ongoing.

Bob Nelson, president of the college's board, said the "matter lies with the circuit attorney's office, and we'll have to wait and see what happens."

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch: www.stltoday.com