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The sale of the 251-unit McKenzie apartments at Delmar Boulevard and Interstate 170 in University City to CS3 Investments comes as Lux Living principals Victor Alston and Sid Chakraverty have assembled a premier legal team, including the brother of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and former U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen, to fight criminal charges filed last September.

The sale of the McKenzie closed Monday, a little more than a year after Lux Living completed the project.

“This sale reflects the strength of the market and the appetite for thoughtfully developed communities that deliver real value to both residents and investors,� Alston said in a statement.

The McKenzie was one of several complexes Lux Living has developed in recent years as Alston and Chakraverty grew their companies into some of the largest landlords in St. Louis, with a combined local portfolio of some 2,000 units.

Buyer on its website estimated the current value of the McKenzie property at $73 million, above what it paid.

“McKenzie fits our vision perfectly: a community that offers best-in-class amenities, exceptional design, and an unbeatable location,� Carlos Salguero, president of CS3 Investments, said in a news release. “Our mission is to elevate the resident experience, strengthen the community, and ensure McKenzie remains the most desirable place to live in St. Louis.�

The sale is the largest for Alston and Chakraverty since they and their companies’ accountant, Shijing “Poppy� Cao, were indicted nearly a year ago on wire fraud charges accusing them of lying and using fake documents to falsely claim they were abiding by St. Louis’ minority-owned contractor hiring requirements, until recently a condition for obtaining city development incentives.

Earlier this year, Chakraverty bolstered his legal team by hiring Brad Bondi, the brother of Trump administration Attorney General Pam Bondi. One of Brad Bondi’s former clients, Trevor Milton, who was convicted in 2022 of defrauding investors in bankrupt electric truck maker Nikola, obtained a March pardon from President Donald Trump.

Alston further added to his defense team with the hire of Jensen, who entered the case on the developer’s behalf last week. Trump appointed Jensen U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri during his first term, and now Jensen is a partner at Torridon Law, the firm founded by Trump’s first-term attorney general, Bill Barr. In 2020 Barr tapped Jensen to lead the politically sensitive review of criminal charges against Trump ally and former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, whose charges Jensen ultimately recommended by dropped. Alston also is represented by top local criminal defense attorney Joel Schwartz.

Brad Bondi last month asked prosecutors to dismiss the charges against Chakraverty, Alston and Cao, arguing in part that the St. Louis minority hiring program they are accused of defrauding to obtain development tax incentives is unconstitutional.

St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer recently recently suspended the program, citing pressure from the Trump administration to get governments around the country to scrap diversity or “DEI� programs amid the city’s efforts to secure federal relief money to help North St. Louis rebuild after the May 16 tornado.

In a court filing last week, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith pushed back on the constitutional argument about the minority hiring program, writing that “it is well settled that defendants’ challenge to the constitutionality of the city’s program does not privilege them to lie, cheat, and steal. Regardless of the constitutionality of the city program, defendants may be prosecuted for their fraud.�