BEAUMONT, Texas — The former Beaumont Independent School District electrical contractor who defrauded the district of $1.2 million more than a dozen years ago will begin spending the next 90 weekends in jail this Friday.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: The above video first aired on November, 4, 2022.)
Calvin Gary Walker, who was found guilty of felony fraud in September 2019, will begin serving 180 days in jail on weekends as ordered by Judge John Stevens.
It will take 90 weekends for Walker to serve his 180 days, Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stevens confirmed to 12News.
Walker and his attorney, Dick Deguerin, appeared via Zoom before Judge Stevens Thursday afternoon in Jefferson County's Criminal District Court.
He will serve his weekend jail time from 6 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Monday weekly Stevens ordered.
Stevens also ordered that Walker begin immediately serving 10 years on probation and pay $1,172,656.01 in restitution to BISD as part of his probation.
During testimony Thursday Deguerin noted that the district has made it clear that they feel they are not entitled to restitution.
Deguerin had argued Thursday that Walker should not begin his sentence until his case can be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Earlier this week Deguerin told 12News that he was filing writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court on Walker's behalf.
This is a request that the Supreme Court order a lower court to send up the record of the case for review according to USCourts.gov.
"The Court usually is not under any obligation to hear these cases, and it usually only does so if the case could have national significance, might harmonize conflicting decisions in the federal Circuit courts, and/or could have precedential value," according to USCourts.gov.
Walker's electric company was contracted for electrician services for Beaumont ISD. Prosecutors claimed back in 2009 that Walker used fraudulent billing practices and submitted fake invoices to defraud the district of more than $1.2 million.
Walker challenged the constitutionality of the verdict claiming that he was denied his motion to reject the indictment and that the evidence used against him lacked legal sufficiency.
In November 2019, Walker filed a Sentencing Memorandum, arguing that the trial court should not order restitution. Walker claimed that double jeopardy was intact, the court did not order restitution in its oral pronouncements and written judgment, and the trial court lacked the power to order restitution.
In February 2022, the Ninth Court of Appeals upheld the guilty verdict, finding all the claims lacked merit.
In August 2022, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals rejected Calvin Walker's petition seeking to overrule the lower court's decision to uphold the conviction.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the state's highest court of appeals.
The case delayed work at South Park Middle School and Regina Howell Elementary.
In early October 2019, Walker was sentenced to 10 years probation and was required to pay a $10,000 fine. He has since paid this fine off.
In early November of 2019, Judge Stevens ordered Walker to serve 180 days in the county jail as part of his 10 years on probation.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.