Timothy Shea, a Colorado businessman, has been sentenced to five years and three months in prison for fraudulently diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars from a $25 million online fundraiser that aimed to build a wall along the U.S. southern border. The sentencing took place in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday, overseen by Judge Analisa Torres, who presided over Shea’s October trial resulting in his conviction for charges including wire fraud, money laundering, and obstruction of justice.
This sentencing comes after a previous trial earlier in 2022 ended in a jury deadlock on charges. Along with Shea, three others were charged three years ago, including Steve Bannon, the former top adviser to then-President Donald Trump. Trump subsequently pardoned Bannon in early 2021, while the other two defendants pleaded guilty and received prison sentences. Bannon is currently facing prosecution in New York state court and has pleaded not guilty.
Timothy Shea, 52, of Castle Rock, Colorado, has also been ordered to forfeit $1.8 million and pay restitution of the same amount. Judge Torres criticized Shea and his cohorts for not only defrauding donors but also damaging faith in the political system by taking advantage of those who believed that building a wall would help secure the nation’s borders. Testimony from donors, including a military veteran and a teacher whose deceased husband was a border agent, highlighted the impact of their actions.
Before the sentencing, Shea expressed regret for his involvement in the “We Build The Wall” campaign. He appealed for leniency, citing the needs of his wife and teenage children.
Prosecutors revealed that Shea personally pocketed $180,000 from the fundraiser, which promised donors that all the money raised would go toward the construction of the wall. Shea is the owner of Winning Energy, an energy drink company known for its cans featuring a cartoon superhero image of Trump and the claim of containing “12 oz. of liberal tears.”
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated that Shea abused the trust of donors by stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars and attempting to obstruct the federal investigation into his criminal conduct.
The scheme began in late 2018 when hundreds of thousands of donors contributed millions to the wall-building campaign. Earlier this year, Brian Kolfage and Andrew Badolato were sentenced after pleading guilty to charges related to the case. Kolfage received a sentence of four years and three months, while Badolato was sentenced to three years in prison.
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