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Sacramento County Deputies Raid Home Of Forgotten Warrior CEO

SACRAMENTO COUNTY (CBS13) — The head of a nonprofit group meant to help veterans may have been helping himself instead, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department said.

CBS13 cameras were there for the raid of CEO Wind Walker's Auburn home as deputies searched for evidence.

It was a wakeup call Walker never saw coming. He was taken from his home early in the morning, detained for some time as deputies searched Walker's home and removed computers, furniture, and even a bathroom sink. Those items, deputies say, may have been purchased with money meant to help veterans.

"We're looking in to the possibility that there's been misappropriation of funds, that were perhaps allocating towards personal use rather than the proceeds of what people believe their donations are going towards," said Sgt. Jason Ramos.

Walker, who admits to doing prison time for previous financial crimes, runs Forgotten Warrior, a nonprofit veterans assistance organization that operates in Sacramento County. Deputies say they don't have an exact number, but believe it could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

According to the organization's website, Forgotten Warriors provides health care, education and advocacy to veterans in need. Organizers often set up tables to ask for donations outside local stores.

After kicking us off the property, Walker was released by deputies, and eventually he decided to answer some questions.

"Whatever they told you is a lie," he said.

He explains his home also doubles as a holistic help center for vets. He denied deputies' claims of how much money had gone into the home.

"There's maybe $8,000 in remodeling in this facility here," he said.

He insists he did not misuse the money, instead claiming Tuesday's raid was retribution for critical comments he made about the sheriff's department.

"This is kind of ridiculous, I guess we've made enemies with the sheriff's department," he said.

Walker is not facing any charges and is not under arrest at this time, though detectives say charges are possible later in the investigation.

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