Matthew Lieberman, who has worked on fundraisers for St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger and other local Democrats, has been charged with several felonies after he called an Amoco employee a “n–ger” and then fired shots into the gas station’s kiosk at Skinker Boulevard and Interstate-64 on November 28. He also faces charges for a similar action at a Jack-in-the-Box on Hampton Avenue that same night.
Lieberman, 38, was charged on November 30 with three counts of unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action. According to the probable cause statement, “The defendant’s conduct and use of epithets indicate his actions to be motivated by race.” His cash-only bond is set at $250,000. As of Friday afternoon, he was still in custody.
Lieberman leads two fundraising firms – Majority Strategies LLC and RAL Strategic Investment Group LLC – and has worked with several of the region’s top Democrats, including Stenger and former St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who first reported the story.
A spokesman for Stenger’s campaign said Lieberman was never employed by the Stenger campaign, though did not dispute that he has assisted with fundraisers.
Lieberman was a frequent customer at the Amoco on Skinker, according to the gas station employee’s statement to police. On November 28 at about 11 p.m., he pulled up in a brown Mercedes sedan, bought a pack of cigarettes and then gave the employee “an offensive hand gesture.” The employee came out of the kiosk to ask the defendant why he did that. While sitting in his Mercedes, Lieberman allegedly pulled out a handgun, pointed it at the employee and called him a “n–ger.” The employee retreated back into the kiosk’s door and then he heard multiple gunshots. Lieberman allegedly then pulled around to the door of the kiosk and fired two more shots into the building.
Surveillance footage shows the defendant pulling out the handgun and then pulling around to the kiosk door, according to court records. Bullet casings at the scene were the same make and model of those later found in Lieberman’s possession.
Less than 15 minutes later, Lieberman allegedly went to the Jack-in-the-Box on Hampton Avenue, where employees told police that he “became irate,” shouted similar racial remarks and shot his gun while driving in his Mercedes, according to the charging documents.
Lieberman has also now been connected with an incident in September where he threatened Black Lives Matter protestors with a gun.
During the second day of protests after the Jason Stockley verdict was announced, protestors encountered an irate driver on Forest Park Parkway near Skinker. At first, the protestors were arguing with the driver because of the traffic the protest was causing. Then one of the protestors shouted, “He’s packing.” Protestors looked into the car and confirmed to the rest of the crowd that he had a gun, The American reported in September. The argument continued while other protestors tried to deescalate the situation as fast as possible. The Riverfront Times reported that the license plate of that driver’s car was “0028,” which was the same plate number as Lieberman’s Mercedes.
Lieberman recently helped organize a fundraiser for Stenger in September. The St. Louis American reached out to Stenger for a comment about Lieberman’s arrest and work with his campaign but has not yet reached a response.
Lieberman also previously helped with Slay’s campaign. Slay’s spokesman has not yet returned The American’s request for comment.
State Rep. Alan Green, chairman of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus, said he hopes his colleagues and the Democratic Party will join the Black Caucus in boycotting Lieberman’s business.
“Matthew Lieberman’s actions were both dangerous and reprehensible,” Green said. “The Missouri Legislative Black Caucus stands against all racially motivated criminal acts. It is our expectation that Lieberman’s actions will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
