Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Scheme Tied to Trump-Inspired Border Wall
New York TimesJul 25, 2023
On Tuesday, a Manhattan federal court sentenced Colorado businessman Timothy Shea to five years and three months in prison for his role in what prosecutors called "a scheme to defraud hundreds of thousands of donors."
Shea, who raised more than $25M under a fundraising campaign to construct a wall along the US border with Mexico, had been ordered to forfeit $1.8M and pay restitution of an equal amount.
Shea abused donors' trust and damaged faith in the country's political system by stealing millions of dollars in donations to cover boat payments, and purchase expensive jewelry and a Trump-themed energy drink. His sentencing is fair, adequately reflects his crimes, and serves as a deterrent to others.
Timothy Shea received a much harsher prison sentence for participating in "We Build the Wall" than was deserved — he wasn't the mastermind behind the scheme. The fundraiser was a proven marketing strategy that Bannon and Trump used to help the latter win the White House. However, both walk free while he pays the price of working as their aide.