A fourth man linked to the the St. Louis towing scandal pleaded guilty this afternoon to two federal charges.

Gregory P. Shepard, the towing manager for St. Louis Metropolitan Towing, pleaded guilty to mail fraud and bribery charges in federal court in St. Louis.

The scandal erupted in 2008 with news that Metropolitan Towing or sister companies were allowing some police officers and the daughter of then-police chief Joe Mokwa to used impounded cars for free.

The Post-Dispatch revealed that company employees improperly towed and sold some vehicles belonging to private citizens, and that the business failed to pay at least $700,000 it owed the police department as a share of towing revenue.

The owners of Metropolitan Towing and other towing and parking companies, William and Kenneth Bialczak, each pleaded guilty Thursday to two tax evasion charges, admitting they skimmed $1 million in cash from the companies from 2005-06.

The Bialczaks also agreed to forfeit $874,978 that federal agents seized in a 2008 raid and search of the brothers' companies. Part of that money will go to pay back taxes, interest and penalties.