A businessman charged alongside former White House advisor Steve Bannon in a federal fraud case won’t have his trial moved to Colorado, a judge ruled Monday.
Timothy Shea made the request for the venue change last month, arguing that his trial should be held in the state where he lives with his family and runs the Winning Energy drink company known for products emblazoned with President Donald Trump’s face.
US District Judge Analisa Torres acknowledged that Shea will incur greater expense with an out-of-state trial but said transferring the case to Colorado would simply shift that economic burden to federal prosecutors.
In addition, it would force the government to conduct two separate trials since his co-defendants had not joined in his request.
Shea is indicted alongside Bannon, Air Force veteran Brian Kolfage and Andrew Badolato for allegedly raising more than $25 million in donations for the nonprofit “We Build the Wall” —then using some of the proceeds for personal gain.
The quartet solicited the cash through a crowdfunding campaign that promised to spend all the funds on constructing a wall on the US border with Mexico — and not a penny on salary or compensation, according to prosecutors.
The judge also rejected a bid to lift a freeze on Shea’s bank accounts — including some that hold money raised in the border wall campaign.






