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Charlotte County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gary Walker will not be going to jail. He will, however, have to eventually give up his elected seat. That was the sentence handed down Monday, Sept. 23 in Charlotte Circuit Court. 

Originally, Walker faced three felony counts of perjury and two misdemeanor counts, alleging he violated Virginia’s Conflict of Interest Act. The 73-year-old Charlotte Court House resident turned himself in to Virginia State Police back on Thursday, Jan. 11. Those five perjury charges were deemed ‘noelle prosequi’, meaning they would not be pursued as charges by the prosecution. Instead, they were reduced to five counts of failure to disclose perjury charges, which are misdemeanors. 

As part of Monday’s hearing, Walker entered an Alford plea. That means the defendant still maintains he’s innocent, but accepts there’s enough evidence that a judge or jury could find him guilty.

Since Gary Walker is a public figure from Charlotte County, he would possibly be familiar with some, if not all of the judges and prosecutors. As a result, Halifax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Tracy Q. Martin agreed to serve as special prosecutor in the case, while retired judge Robert L. Adams took over on the bench. 

And it was Adams who delivered the sentence on Monday. Walker received a one-year suspended prison sentence for each of those five charges, to run consecutively. That means he will serve no time. Instead, he will basically be on probation for that five-year period. Adams also ordered that Walker be removed from the Charlotte County Board of Supervisors, no later than six months from Sept. 23. During his probation period, he also cannot run for office. 

Looking back at the Gary Walker case

Charges were filed against Walker on January 11, 2024. The Virginia State Police’s Appomattox Field Office handled the case and the case was authorized by the Office of the Virginia Attorney General. The initial complaint was filed with the Virginia Attorney General’s office in 2016 over “concerns about the accuracy of information Walker allegedly provided on his annual Statement of Economic Interests (SEI) forms filed between Jan. 1, 2016, and Jan. 11, 2023.”

When the Gazette reached out to current Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, his staff said the office and the AG had nothing to do with the case. 

The prosecution had claimed the situation involved incidents from Jan. 1, 2016 to Jan. 11, 2023. 

What has been reported by Walker, under oath, show that at various times between 2016 until Jan. 11, 2023, he received compensation from serving as a teacher employed by the Charlotte County School Board, as well as on the board of Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation and as the owner of Cornerstone Insurance Agency. 

The argument was that Walker allegedly omitted information about properties he owns or holds an economic interest in at 398 David Avenue and at 351 Watkins Drive in Charlotte County. The prosecution alleged this information was omitted from his Statement of Economic Interest form filed Jan. 11, 2023.