Calvin Waln Jr. Pleads Not Guilty to 22 Counts of Wire Fraud

Calvin Waln, Jr., a 41-year-old man from Mission, South Dakota, is staring down a federal indictment on 22 counts of wire fraud, accused of pumping fake checks through closed bank accounts like a con artist running a ghost machine.

Waln, also known as “Hawkeye” Waln, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno, where he formally entered a not guilty plea. The former captain of the Rosebud Tribal Police now finds himself not in a squad car, but in the crosshairs of a full federal prosecution.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Waln knowingly wrote checks from two financial accounts that had either been drained or shut down before the transactions were made. Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a $1,000,000 fine. If convicted, he could also face up to 5 years of supervised release and court-ordered restitution.

The charges stem from a pattern of financial deception, using electronic banking systems to move money that didn’t exist. Federal prosecutors allege the scheme was deliberate and sustained—no spur-of-the-moment mistake, but a calculated run on institutions trusting the integrity of his accounts.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation, peeling back layers of digital footprints and bank records to build the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Sazama is handling the prosecution, pushing forward on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota.

Waln was released on bond as he awaits trial, scheduled for May 28, 2019. The charges remain allegations; he is presumed innocent until proven guilty. But for a man once sworn to uphold the law, the fall into federal court is a steep one.

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