Homer Key, the Milwaukee contractor sentenced to 5 months in prison for his role in a federal money kickback scheme, will appeal his conviction.

Homer Key on Tuesday became the second person to be sentenced for his role in a scheme to steal federal grant money from Milwaukee County’s disadvantage business enterprise program.

A jury Thursday found contractor Homer Key, accused of colluding to steal federal grant money from Milwaukee County, guilty of felony forgery and conspiring to commit the crime of having a private interest in a public contract.

Contractor Homer Key was particular about his choice of words during his felony theft trial Wednesday, insisting that “retroactive” differs from “backdated” and “units” are not the same as “hours.”

A Milwaukee County Circuit judge blocked a portion of testimony Tuesday from an expert witness in the felony theft trial of contractor Homer Key.

“Time” and “materials” do not appear in Homer Key’s contracts to run a Milwaukee County education program, but the county’s chief auditor said Monday omitting the words did not justify the contractor’s pattern of billing.

Milwaukee County’s lack of competitive bidding for a disadvantaged business education program created an opportunity, the county’s director of audits testified Friday, for a former county employee to funnel federal grant money to a favored colleague.

Milwaukee contractor Homer Key faces four felony charges in a trial that began Tuesday and is expected to last through May 14.

A contractor accused of bilking Milwaukee County out of tens of thousands of dollars in federal grant money was no more than a victim of an incompetent bureaucrat, his attorney said Tuesday.

Jury selection began Monday for the trial of contractor Homer Key, who is accused of colluding with a former Milwaukee County employee to steal federal grants intended to help disadvantaged business enterprises.

Freida Webb, the former director of Milwaukee County's disadvantaged business enterprise program, pleaded no contest Wednesday to stealing federal grant money.

Homer Key, a Milwaukee contractor accused of stealing federal grant money, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to four felony charges.

Arraignments on Tuesday for a contractor and the former director of Milwaukee County’s disadvantaged business enterprise program have been postponed.

The felony theft case against Milwaukee contractor Homer Key is scheduled for an Aug. 20 hearing to set a trial date.

The felony theft case against Freida Webb, Milwaukee County’s former disadvantaged business enterprise program director, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Freida Webb, the former director of Milwaukee County’s Office of Community Business Development Partners, was released Thursday on a $1,000 signature bond in connection with four felony charges.