SAN FRANCISCO—On Thursday, May 13 the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office announced that former permit expeditor & city contractor, Walter Wong, will be repaying the city a combined $1.7 million dollars. The former expeditor pleaded guilty to federal charges that he had taken part in a conspiracy to commit fraud and money-laundering back in June of 2020. Wong is connected to several key figures in the San Francisco City Hall’s public corruption scandal that began when the FBI arrested former Public Works head Mohammed Nuru.
73 year-old Wong has agreed to pay the city back $1.45 million for contracts and grants his company received that were approved through his relationship with Mohammed Nuru and former general manager of San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Harlan Kelly. Wong has also agreed to pay $318,000 in penalties and late fees for ethical violations.
According to the federal complaint from January 2020, Nuru was accompanied by an unnamed contractor, allegedly Wong, to China where Nuru was treated to expensive alcohol and other luxuries in exchange for using his position to push Wong’s projects through.
In addition to repaying the city, Wong will be banned from seeking contracts with the city and another ban on his ability to work as a permit expediter for five years. Wong has also agreed to continue assisting the City Attorney’s Offices for the investigation of corruption in City Hall. While Wong has agreed to pay the settlement, it still needs final approval by the Board of Supervisors.
