Former White House adviser Steve Bannon has been indicted on fraud charges

Former White House adviser Steve Bannon has been indicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection to a crowdfunding campaign to build a border wall, federal prosecutors have confirmed on Thursday (August 20).

Per ABC News, 66-year-old Bannon - who worked as President Donald Trump's former campaign boss - was arrested this morning in Washington D.C. on charges he and others allegedly made false representations about the "We Build the Wall" campaign.

As well as Bannon, 38-year-old Brian Koflage of Mirimar Beach, Florida, 56-year-old Andrew Badolato of Sarasota, Florida, and 49-year-old Timothy Shea of Castle Rock, Colorado, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Each charge reportedly carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.

The campaign reportedly raised $25 million (£19 million), the US Department of Justice has said, and promised to use donations to build segments of the border barrier on private land.

However, as BBC News has reported, Audrey Strauss, the Acting US Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) has said Bannon - along with Kolfage, Badolato, and Shea - instead "defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors, capitalizing on their interest in funding a border wall to raise millions of dollars, under the false pretense that all of that money would be spent on construction".

The Department of Justice adds that Bannon received more than $1 million, at least some of which he used to cover personal expenses.

Kolfage - founder of the "We Build the Wall" campaign - covertly took $350,000 for his personal use, a statement from the Department of Justice said.

Ms Strauss added: "While repeatedly assuring donors that Brian Kolfage, the founder and public face of We Build the Wall, would not be paid a cent, the defendants secretly schemed to pass hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kolfage, which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle."

The indictment was presented by prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.

Bannon is due to appear in court virtually later today.

This is a breaking news story, more to follow...