Tommy Lee Walton, II, Honest Services Mail and Wire Fraud, Tennessee 2013
A former consultant for the Clarksville Electric Department in Tennessee has been sentenced to four years in prison for his role in an honest services mail and wire fraud scheme. Tommy Lee Walton, II, 39, of Waxhaw, North Carolina, was sentenced to 48 months in prison, followed by 24 months of incarceration in a halfway house and 24 months of home confinement.
Walton was found guilty by a federal court jury in January 2013 of nine counts of honest services mail fraud and seven counts of honest services wire fraud. According to testimony at trial, in November 2008 Walton was hired as a consultant for the Clarksville, Tennessee Department of Electricity by Rick R. Ingram, Sr., then president of the Clarksville Department of Electricity.
During his time as a consultant, Walton invoiced and received a total of $156,139.39 from the Clarksville Department of Electricity. However, he paid $51,500 directly to Ingram or to one of Ingram’s creditors, which was not disclosed to members of the Clarksville Electric Power Board or to other employees at the Clarksville Department of Electricity.
Rick R. Ingram, Sr., the former president of the Clarksville Department of Electricity, entered a plea of guilty to two counts of honest services mail fraud and two counts of honest services wire fraud related to the same scheme. Ingram testified at Walton’s trial, and a sentencing hearing is scheduled for Ingram on November 1, 2013.
Tommy L. Walton, Sr., Walton’s father, entered a plea of guilty to eight counts of honest services mail fraud and to five counts of honest services wire fraud on Monday, January 14, 2013. A sentencing hearing for Tommy L. Walton, Sr. is scheduled for August 26, 2013.
The case was investigated by the Tennessee Valley Authority Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Byron Jones and John Webb. The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, David Rivera, announced the sentencing.
“Corrupt practices by public officials and consultants undermine the confidence that citizens must have in their governmental institutions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney David Rivera. “The costs of corruption are born by taxpayers, ratepayers, honest vendors, and honest public employees.”
Walton was ordered to pay restitution to the Clarksville Department of Electricity in the amount of $95,211.38. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of transparency and accountability in government and public institutions.
Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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