Sarasota County man sentenced to prison for role in 'We Build The Wall' scheme

Two men, including a long-time Sarasota County resident, were sentenced to prison Wednesday for their roles in an online fundraising scheme known as "We Build The Wall," according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.

Andrew Badolato, 58, was sentenced to 36 months in prison, and Brian Kolfage, 41, of Miramar Beach, Florida, was sentenced to 51 months, according to the release.

Badolato was also sentenced to three years of supervised release, ordered to forfeit more than $1.4 million, and pay the same amount as restitution. Kolfage also received three years of supervised release, was ordered to forfeit more than $17.8 million, and pay more than $2.8 in restitution.

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Badolato was charged with fraud in 2020 along with Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist for Donald Trump, according to previous reporting by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Bannon and Badolato were accused of raising $25 million through private donors to build a portion of a border wall but kept at least $1 million for themselves.

Bannon was later pardoned by Trump in 2021 just hours before he left office, but Badolato did not receive a pardon.

Badolato initially pleaded not guilty, according to previous reporting, but then he and Kolfage each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Kolfage also pleaded guilty to tax and wire fraud charges originally filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida.

According to the DOJ news release, Badolato, Kolfage, their co-defendant Timothy Shea, and others orchestrated the scheme starting in December 2018.

Kolfage falsely assured donors he wouldn't “take a penny in salary or compensation” and that “100% of the funds raised … will be used in the execution of our mission and purpose," in order to prompt people to donate, according to the release.

The men routed the money that was donated through entities and bank accounts they controlled, and produced fake invoices and sham contracts as a way to obscure what was really happening to the money, DOJ officials said in the release. Then, covertly the men would take some of the money for personal use, according to the release.

“Brian Kolfage and Andrew Badolato abused the trust of donors to We Build the Wall and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to line their own pockets," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said. "The defendants have now been held accountable for their criminal conduct.”

Gabriela Szymanowska covers the legal system for the Herald-Tribune in partnership with Report for America. You can support her work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America. Contact Gabriela Szymanowska at gszymanowska@gannett.com, or on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Two Florida men sentenced for 'We Build The Wall' fundraising scam