SAN FRANCISCO—As confirmed in court documents that were unsealed on Wednesday, June 24, the U.S. Department of Justice charged San Francisco building contractor Wing Lok “Walter” Wong with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The complaint was filed by U.S. Attorney David Anderson in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Wong, 70, managed Jaidin Consulting Group, a 25-year-old business advising agency. He allegedly conspired with Mohammed Nuru, the former head of San Francisco Public Works who was arrested in January 2020 for his fraudulent financial schemes.
Wong is being charged for using bribery, kickbacks, and the concealment of information to transmit “signs, signals, pictures and sounds” that served to carry out the alleged wire fraud. He is also being accused of masking the origins of illegally-obtained money, which could have been generated by the aforementioned wire fraud.
If convicted, Wong could face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for fraud and 20 years for money laundering, as well as a $250,000 fine for fraud and a $500,000 fine for money laundering.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office labeled Wong’s involvement with Nuru as something he did “knowingly and intentionally.”
The U.S. Attorney does not know exactly when Wong’s criminal activity started, but alleges that the fraud could have started around 2004 and the money laundering in 2008. Both schemes have allegedly continued through January 2020.
San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera subpoenaed Wong on February 27 due to his involvement as a permit expediter and contractor in a project related to the 555 Fulton Street building. The subpoenas were part of the City Attorney’s investigation into potentially fraudulent financial exchanges among city officials.
Accusations against Wong are tied to an ongoing FBI investigation into the corruption of San Francisco City Hall. Wong is the fourth person this month to be charged in the investigation.
On June 8, Sandra Zuniga, the former director of the Mayor’s Fix-It Team; Balmore Hernandez, a former employee of the Department of Public Works; and Florence Kong, a construction company owner were charged for involvement in Nuru’s fraud and money laundering schemes.
Regarding charges in early June, Anderson said in a statement: “To everyone with a piece of this corruption, again I urge you to help make things right for San Francisco. Run, don’t walk to the FBI, before it is too late for you to cooperate.”
Wong is reportedly pleading guilty to charges and intends to cooperate with the FBI as the authorities continue their investigation.
San Francisco City Hall and the Public Works Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
