Laurel ATM tech accused of withdrawing $55,000, replacing with phony movie prop bills

A Laurel ATM technician is accused of making off with more money than most Laurel residents see in a year.

Donald Jerry Walker pleaded not guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court to three counts of wire fraud, with federal prosecutors alleging he emptied cash several times from a Laurel ATM and replaced the stolen money with phony dollars. At the close of his arraignment in the federal courthouse in Billings, the 35-year-old surrendered his passport. As of Friday morning, he remained in custody at Yellowstone County District Court.

Starting in late August 2025, court documents said, Walker used his position as an ATM technician to report that a Wells Fargo ATM in Laurel was malfunctioning. Walker allegedly used the reports to gain access to the machine, then walked away with thousands of dollars. In place of the stolen money, according to charging documents, Walker left counterfeit movie prop bills.

After every visit to empty cash out of the ATM, per court documents, Walker reported to his employer that he found counterfeit money inside the machine. Walker allegedly made three such trips to the ATM, stealing nearly $55,000.

Federal prosecutors indicted Walker on counts of wire fraud on April 20. He was booked into YCDF on Thursday following his arraignment.

Nationwide, federal prosecutions of white-collar crime, like fraud, forgery, embezzlement and counterfeiting, have plummeted over the past two decades. In 2005, nearly 11,000 people were indicted in U.S. District Court on counts related to such crimes. By 2023, according to data pulled from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, that number had dropped to around 5,400. From 2021 through 2025, those convicted of white-collar crimes consistently made up about 10% of sentencings in federal court.

In convicted of wire fraud, Walker could be sentenced up to 20 years in prison and face a fine of up to $250,000.