Richard “Rob” Walker, the former Chief Deputy County Executive of Nassau County, was hit with a two-count federal indictment today over allegations he tried to obstruct a grand jury probe and lied to the FBI about a $5,000 cash payment from a county contractor. The charges, unsealed in Central Islip, paint a picture of a high-ranking official scrambling to cover his tracks as federal agents closed in.
Walker, 43, of Hicksville, New York, is accused of accepting the $5,000 in cash in 2014 from a contractor doing work under a Nassau County contract. The indictment alleges that when word reached him in 2017 that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI had launched a grand jury investigation into corruption within county government, he launched a campaign to conceal the payment.
According to court documents, Walker repeatedly contacted the contractor, pressuring him to hide the $5,000 transfer from investigators and to offer a false explanation under oath to the grand jury. In a move straight out of a crime drama, Walker arranged to meet the contractor in a park in Hicksville to return the money. The FBI was watching. They captured video of Walker handing over an envelope with the $5,000, which the contractor later turned in to authorities.
Even after that, Walker allegedly continued the deception. When questioned by FBI agents, he denied ever receiving any cash from the contractor. That lie now forms the basis of the second count in the indictment—making false statements to federal investigators, a felony carrying serious prison time.
“As alleged in the indictment, the defendant Walker, while holding public office, attempted to obstruct a grand jury investigation and then lied to the FBI,” said U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue. “Lying and obstructing justice by those who are sworn to serve the public will never be tolerated.” Donoghue emphasized that officials who betray the public trust will be held accountable.
Walker is scheduled to be arraigned at 12:00 p.m. today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anne Y. Shields in Courtroom 830. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine M. Mirabile, Raymond A. Tierney, and Lara Treinis Gatz of the Eastern District of New York’s Long Island Criminal Division. The charges against Walker are presumed false until proven in court. E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-087 (JMA).
RELATED: Topeka Man Indicted for String of Robberies and Bank Heist
RELATED: Four Men, One Gun: Salt Lake City Robbery Spree Exposed
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Public CorruptionPublic CorruptionPublic CorruptionPublic Corruption