Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Tuesday, Apr 28, 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
News Roundup
Strategic Saudi-Bahrain Causeway Closed Amid Security Concerns as Trump Deadline Approaches
Saudi Arabia Keeps Red Sea Oil Exports Flowing Despite Regional Tensions
Pipeline Attack Cuts Significant Share of Saudi Arabia’s Oil Export Capacity
Saudi Business Leader Abudawood Appointed Chairman of Merit Incentives Group
TotalEnergies Confirms Damage at Saudi Refinery Following Security Incident
Saudi Arabia Launches Early Construction Phase for King Salman Stadium Project
Saudi Shift Away from Longstanding Dollar Oil Framework Gains Attention Amid Iran Conflict
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Resolve Long-Running Transit Visa Dispute
Saudi Oil Capacity and Pipeline Flows Reduced as Supply Risks Intensify
TotalEnergies Reports Damage to Saudi SATORP Refinery Following Security Incidents
Gulf States Assess Prospects of U.S.-Iran Truce as Regional Stability Efforts Intensify
South Korea Resumes Honey Exports to Saudi Arabia Following Sanitary Approval
Saudi Arabia Carries Out Sentences in Eastern Province Following Security Convictions
Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Backs King Street’s Regional Credit Strategy
Saudi Arabia Secures World Cup Return as Egypt Celebrates Landmark Qualification
Iran and Saudi Arabia Intensify Diplomatic Engagement Amid Regional Tensions
Russia and Saudi Arabia Open Visa-Free Travel Corridor for Citizens
Saudi Oil Output Capacity Reduced by 600,000 Barrels Per Day Amid Regional Conflict
Saudi Arabia Suspends Operations at Select Energy Sites as Precautionary Measure
Saudi Arabia Halts Operations at Multiple Energy Facilities Amid Heightened Tensions
Global Markets Jolt as Iran Signals Ceasefire Breakdown and Rising Regional Tensions
King Street Aligns with Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund to Expand Alternative Investments in Middle East
Attack on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Petrochemical Hub Raises Global Supply Concerns
Debate Emerges Over Saudi Strategic Decisions as Gulf Cooperation Council Dynamics Come Into Focus
Saudi Arabia Expands Full Workforce Localisation to 69 Professions in Major Labour Reform
Emerging Alliance of Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia Signals New Regional Power Dynamic Amid Iran Conflict
Iran Linked to Strikes Across Gulf States Following Refinery Attack Escalation
Saudi Arabia Voices Concern Over Fragile US–Iran Ceasefire Stability
Starmer Warns Sustained Effort Needed to Ensure US–Iran Ceasefire Holds
Saudi Arabia’s Key East-West Oil Pipeline Targeted Following Ceasefire Announcement
Iran Targets Saudi Arabia’s East-West Oil Pipeline in Escalating Regional Tensions
Trump Warns of Civilizational Stakes as Iran Halts Negotiations
Saudi Companies Expand Remote Work Measures Ahead of Iran-Related Security Concerns
Iran Warns of Strikes on Saudi Energy Infrastructure if US Targets Its Facilities
Iran Urges Civilians to Form Human Shields Around Nuclear Sites as Diplomatic Deadline Approaches
Saudi Arabia Raises Oil Prices to Record Premiums Amid Supply Pressures Linked to Iran Conflict
Key Saudi-Bahrain Causeway Closed Amid Heightened Security Concerns Linked to Iran
Formula One Calendar Gap Explained as Fans Await Next Grand Prix
Growing Strain on the Petrodollar System Comes Into Focus Amid Iran Conflict
Reported Strike on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Complex Raises Global Energy Supply Concerns
FedEx Introduces New Digital Tool to Streamline Imports into Saudi Arabia
Iran Claims Strike on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Petrochemical Complex Amid Rising Regional Tensions
Taiwan to Source Oil Shipments from Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Ports
Saudi Arabia Evacuates Riyadh Financial District as Precaution Amid Regional Tensions
Saudi Arabia Balances Ambitious Economic Vision Amid Regional Tensions and Financial Pressures
Budget Saudi Arabia Reports Strong Full-Year 2025 Financial Performance
Saudi Arabia Expands Investment in Capcom With Stake Reaching Six Percent
Saudi Arabia Assesses Significant Economic Impact From Regional Conflict Involving Iran
US Beef Secures Expanded Market Access in Saudi Arabia
×