ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo– The former president of a local chamber of commerce in the St. Louis region has been charged with felony stealing from the organization.
Woodson Terrace Police report that Brian Goldman, 51, was behind several unauthorized transactions from the Northwest Communities Chamber of Commerce.
Goldman was the president of the organization from 2012-2019.
According to court documents, following Goldman’s departure, an interim president and other board members discovered that the chamber had not paid taxes or filed the necessary paperwork for its 501(c )(6) status with the state.
An investigation revealed that unauthorized withdrawals and credit card transactions were issued from the chamber’s account to Goldman. Woodson Terrace Police said the transactions dated back to 2013.
In one single year – from 2018 to 2019, close to $52,0000 in unauthorized transactions were made, police said.
The loss of money over time was so significant, that the Northwest Communities Chamber of Commerce was forced to dissolve in 2020.
The chamber was comprised of more than 600 members or businesses, from nearly two dozen municipalities in St. Louis, St. Charles, and Illinois.
