Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Tuesday, Feb 24, 2026

The Veteran Who Launched A Multimillion-Dollar Effort To Build A Border Wall Has Agreed To Plead Guilty To Fraud Charges

The Veteran Who Launched A Multimillion-Dollar Effort To Build A Border Wall Has Agreed To Plead Guilty To Fraud Charges

Brian Kolfage publicly promised he wouldn't take a cent after founding We Build the Wall and raising more than $25 million, but prosecutors say he took hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Brian Kolfage, an Iraq War veteran who launched a multimillion-dollar crowdfunding effort to build a private border wall, has agreed to plead guilty to fraud charges after prosecutors say he surreptitiously took hundreds of thousands of dollars from the fundraiser.

Before launching We Build the Wall, Kolfage had made a living by peddling right-wing misinformation on social media, eventually leading to him being banned on Facebook. In a letter filed in the federal Southern District of New York, federal prosecutors said that in addition to the attempt and conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges, Kolfage also agreed to plead guilty to federal charges of lying on his 2019 taxes.

According to prosecutors, Kolfage first claimed to have earned $63,574 that year and then filed a correction claiming $300,000, but officials claimed Kolfage's income for that year "were materially in excess of that amount."

Kolfage collected the funds despite claiming that he wouldn't earn "a penny in salary or compensation" for the massive crowdfunding effort, but federal prosecutors alleged he and others with the organization arranged a scheme in which he secretly took more than $350,000 from the donations by using nonprofits and shell companies.

Steve Bannon, a top aide to former president Donald Trump, was also charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. According to the indictment, Bannon had received at least $1 million from the supposed nonprofit. In the last hours of his presidency, however, Trump issued a pardon for Bannon.

The We Build the Wall campaign raised more than $25 million on GoFundMe in what was pitched as a private effort to assist the Trump administration in building a wall along the southern border.

But the effort immediately raised questions, including about Kolfage, who had launched other crowdfunding efforts but left a trail of supposed benefactors who said they never received promised donations.

With the raised money, Kolfage launched a nonprofit named We Build the Wall that was supposed to work with private contractors to build a wall on private land. The organization eventually launched two building efforts with the North Dakota–based company Fisher Sand & Gravel in Texas and New Mexico.

It also drew a slew of conservative and right-wing figures to the site, including Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend, former Fox News personality Kimberly Guilfoyle, who made an appearance and spoke to supporters alongside Kolfage during a days-long fundraiser in Sunland Park, New Mexico.

Kris Kobach, the former secretary of state of Kansas, acted as general counsel for We Build the Wall and David Clarke, a former sheriff of Milwaukee County and conservative pundit, served on its board of directors. At one point, Kolfage also claimed that Erik Prince, the former founder of the military contractor Blackwater, was handling security for the construction sites.

The group also attracted extremist figures, including a militant group whose leaders claimed to also work security for the New Mexico construction site.

Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers militant group, who is facing seditious conspiracy charges for the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, also got a personal tour of one of the projects.

Kolfage also claimed to have direct access to the Trump White House, tweeting a copy of an invitation but refusing to provide details about his visit. His wife posted pictures on Instagram with their children of the event.

After Kolfage was indicted, Trump Jr. and officials with the Trump administration sought to distance themselves from the veteran.


The first wall, in Sunland Park, New Mexico, immediately pitted Kolfage and We Build the Wall against city officials, who claimed there were no permits issued for the half-mile wall that was suddenly erected in the desert.

Meanwhile, Kolfage touted on Twitter how the wall had been erected quickly to catch the city off guard and launched unsubstantiated claims of corruption against local officials.

We Build the Wall also clashed with the International Boundary and Water Commission after it plowed through building part of that wall on federal land, despite repeated warnings from officials that permits were required.

The result was a half-mile wall with a gate that was required to remain open during the day and only forced immigrants to walk around the structure.

A second wall was built in Mission, Texas. That effort also sparked a lawsuit against We Build the Wall, this time by a neighboring butterfly sanctuary that accused Kolfage of defamation after tweeting a number of baseless allegations, including that the sanctuary's director was ignoring "rampant sex trade" and dead bodies on its property.

The contractor for the project, Fisher Sand & Gravel, also claimed that We Build the Wall suddenly pulled out of the $8 million project and paid for only $1.5 million of it.

Kolfage is expected to change his plea on April 21.

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice declined to comment on the plea agreement reached with Kolfage.

Kolfage's attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The federal charge for attempt and conspiracy to commit wire fraud could lead to a sentence of 20 years in prison.

Comments

Anna 4 year ago
Your right harleyrider maybe citizens need to set up some paper targets on the steel wall and practice. If a few heads explode as they poke them through the wall so be it.
Harleyrider 4 year ago
Right....walls work....unless you buy tools from Home Depot and cut thru them....or tunnel under. Goof grief.
Oh ya 4 year ago
Regardless of he did it or not it should not fall on a citizens shoulders to protect a international border. That is a job of the federal government. We had a President doing that until slow joe came along and stopped the construction. Now joe seems more interested in protecting the Ukraine border than that of the USA. Maybe because he and his family have shaken down Ukraine for more money than he has made in the US.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
GCC Secretary-General Holds Talks with EU Ambassador in Riyadh
Gulf States’ AI Investment Drive Seen as Strategic Bet on Technology and U.S. Security Ties
African Union Commission Chair Meets Saudi Vice Foreign Minister to Deepen Strategic Cooperation
President El-Sisi Holds Strategic Talks with Saudi Crown Prince in Riyadh
Lucid Unveils Up to $12,000 Incentive for Air and Gravity Models in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Enters Global AI Partnership, Expanding Its Role in International Technology Governance
Saudi Arabia’s Landmark U.S. LNG Agreement Signals Major Strategic Shift
Saudi Arabia Accelerates Global Gaming Push with Billion-Dollar Deals and Expanded PIF Mandate
Saudi Arabia Reports $25.28 Billion Budget Deficit in Fourth Quarter of 2025
Alvarez & Marsal Tax Establishes Dedicated Pillar Two and Transfer Pricing Team in Saudi Arabia
United States Approves Over Fifteen Billion Dollars in Major Arms Sales to Israel and Saudi Arabia
Pre-Iftar Walks Gain Momentum as Ramadan Wellness Trend Spreads
Middle East Jackup Rig Fleet Contracts Further After Saudi Drilling Suspensions
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Prepare to Sign Five Gigawatt Renewable Energy Deal at COP31
King Mohammed VI Congratulates Saudi Leadership on Founding Day, Reaffirming Strategic Ties
US Envoy Huckabee Clarifies Remarks on Israel After Expansionism Controversy
Saudi Arabia Introduces Limited Exceptions to Regional Headquarters Requirement for Foreign Firms
Saudi Arabia Joins Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, Elevating Its Role in Shaping AI Governance
Saudi Arabia and Arab States Mobilise Diplomatically After U.S. Envoy’s Israel Remarks
Cristiano Ronaldo Reaffirms His Commitment to Saudi Arabia Amid Transfer Speculation
Proposed US-Saudi Nuclear Deal Raises Questions Over Uranium Enrichment Provisions
Saudi Arabia Sends 81st Aid Flight to Gaza as Humanitarian Air Bridge Continues
Global Games Show Riyadh 2026 Positioned as Catalyst for Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030
Saudi Arabia Eases Procurement Rules, Allowing Foreign Firms Greater Access to Government Contracts
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Seal Two Billion Dollar Solar Energy Agreement
Saudi Crown Prince Reportedly Sends Letter to UAE Leader Over Yemen and Sudan Policies
Saudi Arabia Voices Concerns to UAE Over Sudan Conflict and Yemen Strategy
Saudi Arabia Joins Global Artificial Intelligence Alliance to Strengthen International Collaboration
Shura Island Positioned as Flagship of Saudi Arabia’s Ambitious Red Sea Tourism Drive
Saudi Arabia Rebukes Mike Huckabee Over Remarks in Tucker Carlson Interview
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praises the rapid progress of Chinese tech companies.
Concerns Mount Over Potential Saudi Uranium Enrichment in Prospective US Nuclear Accord
Trump Directs Government to Release UFO and Alien Information
Trump Signs Global 10% Tariffs on Imports
Investability Emerges as the Defining Test of Saudi Arabia’s Next Market Phase
Saudi Arabia’s Packaging Market Accelerates as Sustainability and E-Commerce Drive Transformation
Saudi Arabia Unveils $32 Billion Push Into Theme Parks and Global Entertainment
Saudi Crude Exports to India Climb Sharply, Closing Gap With Russia
Saudi Arabia’s Halal Cosmetics Market Expands as Faith and Ethical Beauty Drive Growth
ImmunityBio Secures Saudi Partnerships to Launch Flagship Cancer Therapy
United Kingdom Denies U.S. Access to Military Base for Potential Iran Strike
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Launch Expanded Renewable Energy Partnership
US Supreme Court Voids Trump’s Emergency Tariff Plan, Reshaping Trade Power and Fiscal Risk
Mongolian Mining Family’s HK$247 Million Stanley Home Purchase Highlights Resilient Luxury Market
UK Intensifies Efforts to Secure Saudi Investment in Next-Generation Fighter Jet Programme
Saudi Arabia Tops Middle East Green Building Rankings with Record Growth in 2025
Qatar and Saudi Arabia Each Commit One Billion Dollars to President Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Initiative
Ramadan 2026 Prayer Times Set as Fasting Begins in Saudi Arabia and Egypt Announces Dates
Saudi Arabia Launches Ramadan 2026 Hotel Campaign to Boost Religious and Leisure Tourism
Saudi Arabia Seeks Reroute of Greece-Bound Fibre-Optic Cable Through Syria Instead of Israel
×