Stolen school district money expected by the year 9823

In just under a year’s time, of the more than $1 million in restitution that contract electrician Calvin Gary Walker was ordered to pay the Beaumont Independent School District (BISD) for felony fraud committed on the public entity, the working businessowner has ponied up just $150 – or about $10 per month, according to the Jefferson County probation officer overseeing the criminal’s debt to society. Now, with a self-reported revoked electrician’s license in Texas and a monthly Social Security check in the mail, Walker wants to branch out to conduct business in Louisiana, as well.

In November 2022, Walker was sentenced to serve 180 days of incarceration over the course of successive weekends and 10 years of probationary supervision, as well as pay restitution in excess of $1.7 million and a $1,000 fine, for the crime of securing a document by deception as indicted in July 2014. The swindled document as charged was a check for illegally bilked funds from the coffers of BISD.

Although Walker admits he’s been working as the owner/operator of Walker’s Electric (et al), he swears that he takes no salary and that unnamed “friends” pay his bills each month on a loan-type basis. Who these friends are can’t be said, however, as he “doesn’t want to bring them into this.”

Charles Paul, a retired firefighter from the city of Beaumont, said he’s basically covered some of Walker’s bills with the thousands of dollars paid to Walker directly in cash and check for what Paul said was a botched electrical job at his home. Supporting Paul’s claims are filings made in Justice of the Peace Naomi Showers-Doyle’s courtroom when she awarded Walker back pay from his former friend, as well as punitive damages for allegedly speaking ill of the convicted felon. As presented in a cashed check, the funds were made payable directly to Walker, not a company.

Still, Walker, subject to judicial review for the securing/executing a document by deception conviction indicted in 2014, appeared with attorney Dick DeGuerin before Criminal District Judge John Stevens on Oct. 17 and claimed to make $0 for the work he performs around Southeast Texas.

“He works for his company, and makes money for his company at times, but doesn’t pay himself a salary,” DeGuerin said of his client’s employment, while asking for permission to expand the business to Louisiana – to make more money.

“When he claims not to receive any income, what’s the point?” Stevens quizzed the defense, who answered that Walker does plan to claim some funds from this endeavor – but not specifically what type of pay would be forthcoming.

DeGuerin said Walker currently receives virtually no income, except Social Security, and he is trying to get the U.S. government to release $2 million confiscated when the Department of Justice charged Walker with a slew of alleged crimes related to falsified billing of the Beaumont school district later pleaded to lesser added tax evasion charge circa 2012.

“The tax issues are being resolved through the original plea arrangement in federal court,” DeGuerin said, but asserted that the $2 million is not a part of that deal and should be released to cover this debt. DeGuerin just as firmly presented that Beaumont ISD does not want the restitution – a passionate assertion that was astutely debunked by Assistant District Attorney Pat Knauth later in the hearing.

Knauth also touched on income tax reporting – since it was brought up. However, Walker could not – or would not – produce his most recent tax filing. Jefferson County Probation Officer Denise Hunt said she, too, has previously requested the tax return documents – to Walker’s refusal – and, according to her, the probationer under her supervision refuses to satisfactorily answer any questions regarding his finances.

“The budget shows your expenses exceed your income by approximately $800 a month,” Judge Stevens read of Hunt’s critical report.

“He stated he has friends who help him,” Hunt wrote, adding that she asked for letters from his friends to support that claim.

“You refused, saying you do not want to get your friends involved,” Stevens continued from the report. “The defendant said he is paying as much as he can.”

Knauth offered commentary consistent with total disbelief in Walker’s claims, beginning with the faulty assessment of Beaumont ISD’s wants or needs, but not ending there.

“He needs to be forthright with his ability to pay or not pay,” Knauth presented to the court. “We feel like he has not been at this point.”

Tax returns, credit information, real estate transactions such as the property allegedly transferred to his daughter in December – all and more are elements of Walker’s finances that rub at Knauth as though the defendant can pay more of what he owes to the taxpayers of Jefferson County, he said.

“There should be a money trail here – which we don’t have,” Knauth said.

Knauth said that the district attorney’s office and the probation office have made inquiries about suspicious finances, but Walker is uncooperative. According to the county employees, Walker acquired a loan in June for $35,000, has transferred real estate to his daughter, and is pulling permits around Southeast Texas for work he’s performing off the books. The probation officer even pointed to the sale of property in the Sam Rayburn area, and Walker’s reluctance to provide information about the property transfer.

“Last month, Mr. Walker advised me it was sold for taxes,” Hunter advised. “I asked him to provide me the documentation showing me that the property was sold for taxes… and he hasn’t done it yet.”

In court on Oct. 17, Walker said his Park Street office property is also on the verge of being sold for taxes. No documentation of any tax liabilities was presented, however. In fact, no documents at all were presented to the court or the probation officer in attendance.

Judge Stevens cautioned Walker about the repercussions of not being honest with the court.

“It’s been too long since nothing has been provided,” Stevens added. “I’m not too happy with that.”

According to Stevens, of the thousands of defendants in his court who still owe restitution, Walker owes the most.

“We just want some results to get restitution satisfied,” Stevens summed up, granting the request to allow Walker to travel to Louisiana for work. “The court is going to be lenient on giving… but you have to be showing something for it.”

Stevens then tried to get a grasp on what Walker has been paying towards his debt, to date. On probation for approximately a year, Walker has paid a total of $150, the probation officer reported.

“A little over $10 a month? That’s it?” Stevens balked. At the current rate of pay, the restitution wouldn’t be paid in full for another 7,800 years. “I can’t tell you with enough insistence that restitution is of the utmost importance in this court. It’s one of the few ways you can pay for damage that you do and fix it.”