U.S. Attorney's Office
Western District of Wisconsin
September 15, 2022
Grand Jury Returns Indictments
MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictment yesterday. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Tomah Man Charged with Wire Fraud & False Statements
Jonathan Walker, 44, Tomah, Wisconsin, is charged in a 12-count indictment that alleges he engaged in a scheme to defraud the United States and to obtain money by making false representations. Specifically, Walker is charged with 10 counts of wire fraud and 2 counts of making false statements.
The indictment alleges that Walker was the owner and operator of Walker Investment Properties, LLC (WIP) located in Tomah, a mechanical contracting business that offered electrical services and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) services, and that from July 2015 to June 2019, he sought and obtained federal contracts by alleging that WIP was a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). Federal contracting officers may restrict competition for government contracts to SDVOSBs if the owner of a business is a veteran and has a service-connected disability. The indictment alleges that Walker was neither a veteran, meaning he did not serve in the active U.S. military, naval, air, or space service, nor did he suffer a disability incurred in the line of duty while in active US military, naval, air or space service.
The indictment alleges that the Department of Defense awarded two contracts to WIP totaling $1,927,536.79 for HVAC services and fire alarm installation at Fort McCoy, a U.S. Army installation located in Monroe County, Wisconsin, and that Walker caused WIP to issue invoices for services provided under these contracts that resulted in payments to WIP totaling $482,577.
If convicted, Walker faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each wire fraud charge and a maximum of 5 years on each false statement charge. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; and the General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Graber is handling the prosecution.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office press release
