Calvin Walker is no longer legally accused of wrong doing against the Beaumont Independent School District.
Under a plea deal reached in the Beaumont electrician's case, 37 charges of various types of fraud were dropped against Walker, and he pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of failure to pay taxes in a timely manner.
Walker was originally accused of over billing BISD by nearly $4 million. He was indicted on 37 counts of fraud. Those charges have now been dropped.
Walker's attorney, Dick DeGuerin, says the plea deal came as a win in his eyes, due to the uncertainties of a second jury trial.
Walking away from a hung jury in the first trial in December,DeGuerin says he was ready to fight the case again, but settled with the plea deal.
"I think he's very relieved because we don't have to go through the uncertainties of a jury trial even though I think we would have won," said DeGuerin.
Walker's relief is in the dropping of 37 fraud charges by Federal Prosecutors, but under the deal, Walker pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of failure to pay taxes on time.
"He did not pay taxes on one of the checks he got from BISD," said DeGuerin.
That check was for more than $1.5 million for Walker's electrical work on two temporary campuses.
Taxes will be paid on that money.
Walker also faces a fine of up to $25,000.
During the initial investigation a few years ago, DeGuerin says the electrician agreed to forfeit $3.2 million of annuities from which the tax liability and any fine will be paid.
The agreement also says BISD may request restitution from remaining forfeited funds.
Walker faces up a year in federal prison, but the prosecution recommends he get probation instead of jail time. The U.S. Attorney's Office says the judge will decide that.
Now DeGuerin says his client can get back to work.
"Now it will all be dismissed, and Calvin Walker can go about his business of providing good services for the Beaumont Independent School District," said DeGuerin.
BISD has not commented on whether it will request restitution. The district says only that it is not involved in the resolution and the district is glad it's over.
DeGuerin says his client will continue working for the district, but gave no specifics about contract work.
