Timothy Shea Of Castle Rock Appears In Federal Court In 'Build The Wall' Fundraiser Scandal

DENVER (CBS4) - A Castle Rock man faced a judge in federal court in New York on Monday. Timothy Shea faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection to an attempt to defraud donors to a "Build The Wall" online fundraising campaign.

Shea is expected to go to trial in May of next year.

Shea, along with four others, including Stephen Bannon, were indicted earlier this month.

Bannon was one of President Donald Trump's closest advisors, joining the campaign in 2016 and serving in the White House until August 2017. He is the sixth close associate of the president to face federal charges since 2017.

Shea is accused of setting up shell corporations to funnel money donated to the online campaign to another defendant, Brian Kolfage. The money was routed through the nonprofit and the shell company, run by Shea, prosecutors say.

A neighbor of Shea's in Castle Rock says police and federal authorities took him into custody early one morning earlier this month. She says a large trash bin outside the Shea home appeared to have been searched and contents seized.

Shea could face 40 years in prison. He was released on a $250,000 unsecured bond.