Beaumont Electrician Guilty of Federal Tax Violations

BEAUMONT, TX—A 51-year-old Beaumont electrician has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today.

Calvin Gary Walker pleaded guilty to an information charging him with failure to pay federal income taxes today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Giblin.

An Internal Revenue Service investigation stemming from the original FBI investigation of overbilling and submission of altered documents to the Beaumont Independent School District revealed Walker failed to report as income on his 2009 tax return a check from BISD in the amount of $1,592,839.10 for the payment of materials, labor, and equipment rental charges.

According to information presented in court, Walker admitted in a signed factual basis submitted to the court that he was aware of the additional business income as it resulted from the submission of invoices to the BISD. Records from the BISD reflect that on August 29, 2009, Walker submitted an invoice for labor, materials, and rental equipment in the amount of $1,592,839.10 for the electrical wiring of two temporary campuses. On September 9, 2009, the BISD issued a check in the amount of $1,592,839.10 in payment of the invoice. Records of the BISD contained copies of bills of materials from third party electrical wholesale companies along with copies of unnegotiated checks drawn on Walker’s bank account in the same amounts, payable to said wholesalers. Walker further admitted that included in the wholesale invoices was an invoice in the amount of $382,975.32 which had been altered to reflect it was an invoice, when, in fact, the document was a quote and not an actual purchase. Walker’s check payable to that wholesaler in the amount of $382,975.32 was never presented to the wholesaler or negotiated. Records of the BISD also contained similar altered documents purportedly from the same electrical supplier matching invoices submitted by Walker for materials in other projects.

Walker faces up to one year in federal prison. As part of the plea, Walker has agreed to forfeit $3.2 million of the annuities from which the tax liability and any fine will be paid. BISD may also request restitution from the remaining forfeited funds. Upon sentencing, any remaining charges will be dismissed. A sentencing date has not been set.

This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Rawls and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Foster.