An indictment is a formal accusation or charge based on a finding by a Grand Jury that it is likely that the person charged committed the criminal offense described in the indictment and is the means by which an accused person (defendant) is brought to trial. An indictment raises no inference of guilt. As in all criminal cases, each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
An information is a formal accusation of a crime by a government attorney rather than a Grand Jury. An information raises no inference of guilt. As in all criminal cases, each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
A charge is an accusation of criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. As in all criminal cases, each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Each count is a separate and distinct offense charged in an indictment or information.
A guilty plea is a defendant’s admission to the court that he or she committed the offense charged and an agreement to waive the right to a trial.
A conviction is a judgment based on a jury’s verdict, judge’s finding, or the defendant’s admission that the defendant is guilty of the crime charged.
A sentence is a judicial determination of the punishment to be imposed on an individual who has plead guilty or has been convicted by a jury or judge of a criminal offense.
On December 20, 2001, Laura Greco, former treasurer of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1501 was sentenced in the New York State Supreme Court, County of New York, on charges of grand larceny for embezzling $8,965 in union funds. As a result of a plea bargaining agreement, she was sentenced to five years probation and was required to pay $5,000 restitution. The investigation was conducted by the OLMS New York District Office.
On December 17, 2001, in Wayne County (Indiana) Superior Court, Priscilla Crist, former president of Auto Workers Local 2374, was indicted for forgery and theft of $4,092. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
On December 17, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, David Lareau, former business manager of Painters Local 160, was charged in a one-count information with concealing and withholding financial records. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office.
On December 12, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, a superceding indictment was returned against Jake West, general president emeritus of the Iron Workers International Union. The superceding indictment contained the same 49 counts that were in the original indictment which was unsealed on August 29, 2001, plus one count of conspiracy to embezzle, defraud, and file false reports and one count of obstruction of justice. The charges were brought following a joint investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.
On December 12, 2001, in Winnebago County (Illinois) court, Todd Mosley and Laura Reilly, former business agent and recording secretary, respectively, of Stage & Picture Operators Local 217, were indicted for felony theft. Mosley is alleged to have taken approximately $3,126 in union funds and Reilly is alleged to have taken approximately $1,522. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On December 11, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Robert D. King, Jr., former financial secretary of Roofers Local 86, pled guilty to a two-count information charging him with embezzling $88,757 in union funds and $41,750 in employee benefit funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.
On December 7, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, a criminal complaint was signed charging Isador Hampton and Willie Lyons, former president and financial secretary, respectively, of Auto Workers Local 825, with embezzling union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.
On December 6, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Robert Dean Meyer, former financial secretary of Carpenters Local 1481, pled guilty to a one-count information charging him with embezzling $47,346.40 in union funds. The charges had been brought on November 19, 2001, following an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On December 4, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Thomas C. Bailey, former president and business manager of Musicians Local 136, and his wife, Deborah S. Bailey, an employee of the local, were indicted on charges of embezzling $15,601 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office.
On December 3, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, Terrance P. Baldridge, former secretary-treasurer of Auto Workers Local 1349, pled guilty to embezzling union funds. The plea agreement stipulates to a loss amount of $5,307. The charges had been brought on October 5, 2001, following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
On November 30, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Michelle Terrell Spargur, former bookkeeper/office secretary for Carpenters Locals 364 and 1124, was sentenced to ten months home confinement with electronic monitoring and five years probation and was ordered to make restitution to the locals of $29,673. The charges had been brought on July 13, 2001, following an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
On November 30, 2001, Judge Robert W. Curran of the Circuit Court for the City of Newport News, Virginia, accepted a plea agreement from Stanley Coppedge, former grievance person for Steelworkers Local 8888. Mr. Coppedge pled guilty to petty larceny, a Class 1 misdemeanor, in violation of Virginia Code 18.2-178 (obtaining money or property by false pretenses). He was sentenced to one year incarceration, suspended as long as he remains in good behavior and makes restitution of $13,761.67. The charges had been brought on July 9, 2001, following an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
On November 29, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Steven Call, former president of Musicians Local 150, pled guilty to an information charging him with embezzling $18,536 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
On November 29, 2001, in Edgar County (Illinois) court, Judith Elaine Cline, former secretary-treasurer of Auto Workers Local 2343, pled guilty to a one-count information charging her with misdemeanor theft of $300. She was sentenced to 12 months of supervised release and ordered to make restitution of $900 to the union. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On November 29, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Roy Summerlin and Thomas Hall, former treasurer and vice-president, respectively, of Guards Tenth Regional Council, were charged in two separate informations with making false entries in required union records. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
On November 26, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Lillian Agredano, former office secretary of Painters Local 1348, was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to make restitution of $15,000. She had pled guilty on September 19, 2001, to the embezzlement of union funds following an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
On November 21, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, John Abbott, former secretary-treasurer of the Laborers District Council of Oregon, Southern Idaho, and Wyoming, was sentenced to 15 months in prison and one year probation. He was ordered to make restitution of $194,400 and settle his income taxes with the IRS for the years 1994 through 1998. He had pled guilty on February 26, 2001, to accepting gratuities to use his influence as a pension plan trustee and filing a false tax return following an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office, the IRS, the FBI, the Department of Labor's Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, and the Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General.
On November 20, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Keith R. Sharp, former business agent for Stage and Picture Operators Local 132, was sentenced to six months home detention with electronic monitoring and three years probation and was ordered to make restitution of $7,873. He had pled guilty on September 6, 2001, following an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.
On November 20, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, Barclay Grayson, the former president of Capital Consultants, LLC, was sentenced to 24 months in prison and three years probation. He had pled guilty on March 19, 2001, to mail fraud following an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office, the IRS, the FBI, the Department of Labor's Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, and the Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General.
On November 19, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, an information was filed charging Robert Dean Meyer, former secretary-treasurer of Carpenters Local 1481, with one count of embezzling $47,346.40 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On November 16, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Stephen M. Hanlon, former secretary-treasurer of Steelworkers Local 01-4564-S, pled guilty to embezzling $21,657 in union funds. The charges had been brought on November 2, 2001, following an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.
On November 16, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Willie R. Walker, former secretary-treasurer of International Longshoremen's Association Local 1349, was indicted on one count of embezzling $91,423 in union funds and one count of falsifying union records. The charges were brought following a joint investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office, the Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General, and the FBI.
On November 15, 2001, in the Berks County (Pennsylvania) Court of Common Pleas, Kathleen L. Frost, former bookkeeper of Iron Workers Local 420, pled guilty to one count of theft by unlawful taking and one count of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received. She was sentenced to two years probation. The charges had been brought on August 14, 2001, following an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia District Office.
On November 15, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, William Brooks, former recording secretary of Painters Local 8, was charged in a three-count indictment with embezzling $14,480 in union funds, false recordkeeping, and aiding and abetting. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On November 15, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Robert Gordon, former financial secretary-treasurer of Local 366 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison followed by three years probation and was ordered to make restitution of $88,431. He had pled guilty on July 27, 2001, to embezzlement of union funds and falsification of union records following an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
On November 9, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, Daniel Valle, former president of State, County, and Municipal Employees, CSEA, Local 316-Health Research, pled guilty to embezzling $19,301 in union funds. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Buffalo District Office.
On November 8, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Kerry J. Tresselt, an employee of the Iron Workers International Union who worked as a bookkeeper for the National Ironworkers and Employers Apprenticeship Training and Journeyman Upgrading Fund, pled guilty to three counts of embezzling more than $350,000 from an employee welfare benefit plan and one count of conspiring to make false statements. The charges were brought following a joint investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office, the FBI, the Department of Labor's Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.
On November 6, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Jessie McGee, former business agent for Teamsters Local 891, was indicted on one count of embezzling $2,492 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
On November 5, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii, Glenn Reys, former secretary-treasurer of Letter Carriers Branch 4644, was sentenced to five years probation (including six months home detention) and ordered to make restitution of $10,011 to the union. He had pled guilty on May 14, 2001, following an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco District Office with assistance from the Los Angeles District Office.
On November 2, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, an information was filed charging Stephen Hanlon, former financial secretary of Steelworkers Local 01-4564-S, with embezzling $21,657 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.
On November 1, 2001, in the State Court of California, Kings County, a complaint was filed against Robert S. Ramos, former president of Food and Commercial Workers Local 193-I, charging him with embezzling more than $400 in union funds in violation of Section 487(a) of the California Penal Code. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco District Office.
On October 31, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, Bobby Putnam, former secretary-treasurer of Communications Workers Local 14708, was charged in a 40-count indictment with embezzling union funds and making false entries in union records. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office.
On October 30, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, George Wright, Jr., former financial secretary of United Automobile Workers Local 267, was indicted on one count of embezzling $19,206 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office.
On October 30, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Matthew Downey, lead operator for Elevator Constructors Local 1, was indicted for witness tampering and obstruction of justice. The charges were brought as part of a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, the FBI, and the Department of Labor's Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration.
On October 26, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Shawn Drake, former secretary-treasurer of Local 736 of the Paper, Allied-Industrial Chemical and Energy Workers International Union (PACE), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds. He was sentenced to 21 months in jail, three years probation, and was ordered to make restitution of $21,376. He had been indicted on February 14, 2001 following an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
On October 23, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, Paul Morgan, former secretary-treasurer of Musicians Local 694, was indicted on one count of embezzling $6,950 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office.
On October 23, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, Earnest W. Carter, former business manager of Sheet Metal Workers Local 399, was sentenced to five months imprisonment followed by five months in a halfway house and two years probation. He was ordered to make restitution to the union of $22,092.82. He had pled guilty to embezzlement of union funds on August 7, 2001, following an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office.
On October 23, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Hank Van Heyningen, president of Christian Labor Union Local 17 (Dairy Workers), pled guilty to one count of extortion. The charges had been brought on September 4, 2001, following a joint investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office, the FBI, and the Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General.
On October 22, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, William A. Fast, former treasurer of Steelworkers Local 1013-L, was charged in an information with one count of embezzling $3,893.71 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.
On October 19, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska, Connie Ogg, former secretary-treasurer of Communications Workers Local 7401, was sentenced to four months imprisonment and two months home confinement to be followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to perform 200 hours of community service and to make restitution of $65,285. She had pled guilty to embezzlement of union funds on August 1, 2001, following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
On October 18, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Rhonda Ostendorf, former office secretary for Painters District Council 58, was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to make restitution of $6,331. She had pled guilty to embezzlement of union funds and falsification of union records on June 27, 2001 following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
On October 16, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Robin Neither, former bookkeeper for Longshoremen & Warehousemen Local 10, was indicted on charges of embezzling union funds and making false entries in required union records. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco District Office.
On October 15, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Wilfield Bloomfield, former bookkeeper of Carpenters Local 1553, was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment followed by 36 months of supervised release. He had pled guilty on July 16, 2001, to the embezzlement of $2,275 in union funds. He was ordered by the court to make restitution of $110,886.65 to the union's bonding company. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
On October 11, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Steve Jones, former business manager/secretary-treasurer of Iron Workers Local 387, pled guilty to a two-count information charging him with embezzling $29,724.73 in union funds and $39,949.42 in apprenticeship funds. The charges had been brought following a joint investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office, the Department of Labor's Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, and the Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General.
On October 5, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Sharon K. Schmenk, former treasurer of the Lima Memorial Professional Nurses Association, pled guilty to a one-count information charging her with embezzling $19,170 in union funds. The information had been filed on September 4, 2001, following an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.
On October 5, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, Terrance P. Baldridge, former secretary-treasurer of United Auto Workers Local 1349, was charged in a one-count indictment with embezzling $1,150 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
On October 3, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, Ygnacio Angel, former president of American Postal Workers Local 402, pled guilty to an information charging him with false recordkeeping in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office.
On October 3, 2001, in Hamilton County (Ohio) Court, Michaelene Vandine, secretary-treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees Local 2031, pled guilty to theft by deception. She was sentenced to 180 days in jail which was suspended, one year probation, and 40 hours of community service. She had previously made restitution to the union in the amount of $1,574.50. She had been indicted on August 7, 2001 following an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
On October 2, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, Jeffrey Grayson, CEO of Capital Consultants, LLC, was indicted on 14 counts of mail fraud in connection with devising a scheme to defraud union pension plans, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1341. He was also charged with three counts of giving and offering to give over $200,000 in gratuities to John Abbott, a union pension trustee, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1954; three counts of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1956(a); one count of witness tampering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1512; and one count of conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371. The charges were brought following a joint investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office, the IRS, the FBI, the Department of Labor's Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, and the Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General.
On September 26, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, Deborah Bankston, former financial secretary-treasurer of Western Pulp and Paperworkers Local 83, was charged in an information with embezzling $64,711 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco District Office.
On September 25, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Donna Hill, former office secretary for Painters Local 970, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. She was ordered to make restitution of $53,906.50. She had pled guilty on July 9, 2001, following an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office.
On September 25, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, Craig J. Rider, former business manager of Laborers Local 1290, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for embezzlement of union funds, to be followed by 36 months of supervised release. He was also ordered to make restitution of $15,044. He had pled guilty on May 21, 2001, following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
On September 19, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Lillian Agredano, former officer manager of the now-defunct Painters Local 1348, pled guilty to the embezzlement of $9,486 in union funds. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
On September 18, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Angela Smith, secretary-treasurer of Local 1325 of the Paper Allied-Industrial, Chemical & Energy Workers (PACE), was sentenced to 120 days home confinement with four years supervised probation and was ordered to make restitution to the union in the amount of $4,524.95. She had earlier pled guilty to embezzling union funds following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
On September 17, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, Ralph Varnardo, former president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 1674, pled guilty to one count of violating 18 USC 641, Embezzlement of Public Money, in the amount of $15,724. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Boston District Office.
On September 14, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Gary Monsson, former secretary-treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees Local 3000, was sentenced to 12 months incarceration and three years of supervised released. He was ordered to make restitution to the union of $12,176.74 in addition to the amounts he had already repaid. He had earlier pled guilty to embezzling union funds following an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office.
On September 12, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, James Bryant, former secretary-treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees Local 2061, entered into a plea agreement in which he agreed to plead guilty to two counts of theft by unlawful taking within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States. He agreed to make restitution to the union in the amount of $3,480. He had been indicted following an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia District Office.
On September 7, 2001, in the United States District Court for the U.S. Virgin Islands, Timothy Daley, former office secretary for Steelworkers Local 8248, was sentenced to 14 months incarceration with three years probation and was ordered to make restitution to the union of $11,280.13. He had earlier pled guilty to embezzling union funds following an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office.
On September 6, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Donnie Block, former financial secretary of Bakery, Confectionery and Tobacco Workers Local 66, was sentenced to 12 months and one day of imprisonment and ordered to make restitution to the union in the amount of $38,702. He had pled guilty to one count of embezzlement on May 14, 2001 following an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
On September 6, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Keith Sharp, former business agent for Stage and Picture Operators Local 132, pled guilty to a one-count information charging him with embezzling $7,873.91 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.
On September 6, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marvin Savant, former paymaster of Longshoremen's Association Local 1316, was sentenced to five months in a community correction center to be followed by five months home detention and three years supervised release. He was also ordered to make restitution to the union of $4,820. He had earlier pled guilty to embezzling union funds following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
On September 5, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Nadine Corey, former president of the Association of Credit Union Employees, was sentenced to one year home confinement and three years probation. She was also ordered to make restitution to the union of $49,385.95. She had earlier pled guilty to an information which charged her with embezzling union funds following an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.
On September 4, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Sharon K. Schmenk, former treasurer of the Lima (Ohio) Memorial Professional Nurses Association, was charged in a one-count information with embezzling $19,170 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.
On September 4, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Hank Van Heyningen, president of Christian Labor Union Local 17 (Dairy Workers), was charged in an information with extorting $100 from a worker in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1951(a), (b)(2) (interference with interstate commerce by threats of violence). The charges were brought following a joint investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office, the FBI, and the Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General.
On September 4, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Maine, Ray Curtis, former secretary-treasurer of Laborers Local 327, was sentenced to three years probation with a condition that he serve six months in home confinement with electronic monitoring. He was also ordered to make restitution to the union of the balance he owes, $6,655. He had earlier pled guilty to embezzling $8,547 in union funds following an investigation by the OLMS Boston District Office.
On September 4, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, Larry Turman, former secretary-treasurer of Letter Carriers Branch 2119, was sentenced to one year supervised probation and fined $1,000. The judgement order made note that full restitution of $1,700 had already been made to the union. He had earlier pled guilty to embezzling union funds following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
On August 30, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Stanley Bennett, former secrretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 1137, was sentenced to three years probation; fined $200; ordered to serve four months of home detention, including two months with electric monitoring; and ordered to make restitution of $6,477.56. He had earlier pled guilty to embezzling union funds following an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
On August 29, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, a 49-count indictment against Jake West, general president emeritus of the Iron Workers International Union, was unsealed. The indictment charges him with 43 counts of embezzling a total of approximately $51,000 in union funds and 3 counts of concealing and falsifying a material fact and 3 counts of making false statements, both in connection with the Form LM-2 reports he filed in 1996, 1997, and 1998. The charges were brought following a joint investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.
On August 29, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, David Manes, former business representative of Steelworkers Local 711-A, was indicted on 153 counts of embezzling a total of $24,923.42 in union funds. Twenty counts involved unauthorized salary, 119 counts involved personal purchases on the union's credit card and other accounts, and 14 counts involved use of union funds for personal debts. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco District Office.
On August 24, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Judy Domning, former executive director of the Minnesota Licensed Practical Nurses Association, pled guilty to one count of making a false statement in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001 by making a false entry in a union record. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
On August 21, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, Michele Arington, former bookkeeper for Steelworkers Local 9-194-L, was indicted on one count of embezzling $5,635 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
On August 16, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Lillian Agredano, former office manager for Painters Local 1348, was charged in a one-count information with embezzling $9,486 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
On August 14, 2001, in the Berks County (Pennsylvania) Court of Common Pleas, Kathleen L. Frost, former bookkeeper of Iron Workers Local 420, was indicted on one count of theft by unlawful taking and one count of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received in the amount of $7,653.46 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia District Office.
On August 13, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, Shelly Sue Pfeiffer, former bookkeeper-office secretary for Plasterers Local 577, pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds. She was ordered to make restitution of $30,863.55 to the union's bonding company and was sentenced to six months of home detention monitored by an electronic device and five years probation. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office.
On August 9, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Richard P. Miller, former secretary-treasurer of United Railway Supervisors Local 202, was sentenced to five months imprisonment, followed by five months community confinement and three years of supervised release, and was ordered to make restitution of $100,000 to the union. He had pled guilty to embezzlement of union funds on May 31, 2001, following an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office.
On August 7, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, Earnest W. Carter, former business manager of Sheet Metal Workers Local 399, pled guilty to an information charging him with one count of embezzling $22,092.82 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office.
On August 7, 2001, in the Hamilton County (Ohio) Court of Common Pleas, Michaelene Vandine, secretary-treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees Local 2031, was indicted on one count of theft by deception from the union in the amount of $1,574.50. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
On August 1, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska, Connie Ogg, former secretary-treasurer of Communications Workers Local 7401, pled guilty to an information charging her with embezzling $67,637 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
On July 27, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Robert Gordon, former financial secretary-treasurer of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 366, pled guilty to one count of embezzling $485 in union funds and one count of making a false entry in union records. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
On July 23, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, Terry Wilson, former secretary-treasurer of Steelworkers Local 09-1133-L, was placed on three years supervised probation and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $6,073, the amount of the $22,073 in union funds he embezzled which is still outstanding. He had entered a guilty plea on May 5, 2001. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
On July 20, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, an information was filed charging Judy Domning, former executive director of the Minnesota Licensed Practical Nurses Association, with one count of making a false statement in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
On July 17, 2001, in Sedgwick County (Kansas) court, Norman George, former secretary-treasurer of Bakery & Tobacco Workers Local 99G, was charged in a criminal complaint with felony theft ($3,500). The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
On July 16, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, John Serpico, former president of the Central States Joint Board of the Novelty and Production Workers (and a former vice president of the Laborers International Union), was convicted of mail fraud for, among other things, using his influence over union funds to obtain millions of dollars in personal loans from banks and receiving a kickback in return for arranging a union loan for a hotel project. Maria Busillo, also a former president of the Central States Joint Board, was convicted of mail fraud and making false statements to a bank and Gilbert Cataldo was convicted of mail fraud. The charges were brought following a joint investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office, the FBI, the IRS, and the Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General.
On July 16, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Wilfield Bloomfield, former bookkeeper for Carpenters Local 1553, pled guilty to one count of embezzling $2,275 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
On July 13, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Michele Terrell Spargur, former office secretary for Carpenters Locals 364 and 1124, pled guilty to two counts of embezzling a total of $29,673 in union funds and two counts of destroying union records. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
On July 11, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, Nancy Groome, former secretary-treasurer of the Civil Service Employees Association, Local 316 of the State, County, and Municipal Employees, pled guilty to one count of embezzling $111,476.48 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Buffalo District Office.
On July 9, 2001, in the Circuit Court for the City of Newport News, Virginia, Stanley Coppedge, former grievance person for Steelworkers Local 8888, was indicted on charges of defrauding the Newport News Shipbuilding Company and/or Steelworkers Local 8888 by obtaining money or property by false pretenses. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
On July 9, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Donna Hill, former office secretary for Painters Local 970, pled guilty to count one of an indictment which charged her with embezzling $59,167 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office.
On June 27, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Leo MacGillvray, former treasurer of Utility Workers Local 446, pled guilty to a one-count information charging him with embezzling $86,311 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Boston District Office.
On June 27, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Rhonda Ostendorf, former bookkeeper for Painters District Council 58, pled guilty to one count of embezzling $6,331 in union funds and one count of false statements under 18 U.S.C. 1001. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
On June 21, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, Jeremias Z. Lopez, former business manager/secretary-treasurer of Laborers Local 220, was indicted on one count of embezzling $10,814 in union funds and one count of falsifying union records. This case was investigated by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office jointly with the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General.
On June 20, 200l, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Emanuel Graham, president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 2031, was indicted on 16 counts of violating 18 U.S.C. 287 by filing false claims for travel and per diem expenses with the Veterans Administration when he had already been reimbursed for those expenses by the union. He was indicted on 16 additional counts of violating 18 U.S.C. 641 for theft of U.S. government money corresponding to those claims. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
On June 17, 2001, James E. Cole, General Secretary of the Iron Workers International Union, pled guilty in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of union funds embezzlement, one count of failing to disclose a material fact in a union financial report filed with the U.S. Department of Labor, and one count of making a false entry in union records. Mr. Cole had been charged in an 18-count indictment on January 3, 2001, with embezzlement of more than $10,000 in union funds, false reporting and mail fraud. The OLMS Washington District Office conducted the investigation with assistance from the FBI. Mr. Cole is the fourth official of the Iron Workers to plead guilty as a result of the investigation.
On June 15, 2001, Earnest W. Carter, former financial secretary and business manager of Sheet Metal Workers Local 399, was charged in a one-count information in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina with embezzling $22,092 in union funds. The OLMS Atlanta District Office conducted the investigation.
On June 15, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Gary Monsson, former secretary-treasurer of AFGE Local 3000, pled guilty to an information charging him with embezzling $51,464.49 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office.
On June 12, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota, Bryan Kroh, former secretary-treasurer of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Division 746, pled guilty to one count of embezzling $33,469 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
On May 31, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Richard P. Miller, former secretary-treasurer of United Railway Supervisors Local 202, pled guilty to a one-count information charging him with embezzling between $20,000 and $40,000 in union funds. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office.
On May 31, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, a two-count indictment was returned charging Patricia Smith, former office secretary for the Laborers Alabama District Council, with one count of embezzling $21,687.85 in union funds and one count of making false entries in records required to be maintained. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Birmingham Resident Investigator Office.
On May 31, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, a two-count indictment was returned charging Eugene Wilkinson, former financial secretary of Mine Workers Local 7154, with one count of embezzling $12,024.89 in union funds and one count of false reporting. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Birmingham Resident Investigator Office.
On May 21, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, J. Craig Rider, former business manager of Laborers Local 1290, pled guilty to charges that he embezzled $15,345 in union funds. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
On May 15, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, Stephen Burks, former comptroller of State, Country and Municipal Employees Council 71, was indicted on one count of embezzling over $23,000 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia District Office.
On May 14, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Donnie L. Block, former president of Bakery & Tobacco Workers Local 66, pled guilty to one count of embezzling $38,702 in union funds. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
On May 14, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii, Glenn Reys, former secretary-treasurer of Letter Carriers Branch 4644, entered a guilty plea to one count of embezzling $2,000 in union funds and one count of filing a false labor organization annual report, Form LM-4. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco District Office.
On May 11, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Roy Keith Harris, former financial secretary of Steelworkers Local 11-659, entered a plea of guilty to the embezzlement of $28,123 in union funds. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
On May 11, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, Robert Emery, Sr. former financial secretary of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 429, was indicted on three counts of embezzling a total of $16,851 in union funds and two counts of failure to file Form LM-30, Labor Organization Officer and Employee Report, relating to transactions the union conducted with a T-shirt business owned by his wife. His wife was charged in one count of the indictment with aiding and abetting him in embezzling $5,340 for her personal benefit. Terri Myatt, Local 429 office manager, was also charged in one count of the indictment with aiding and abetting Mr. Emery in embezzling $5,818 for her personal benefit. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
On May 8, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Robert Gordon, former financial secretary-treasurer of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 366, was indicted on six counts of embezzling $88,000 in union funds and making false entries in union records. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
On May 4, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, Britt Commons, former business manager of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1523, entered a plea of guilty to falsifying union records to conceal an embezzlement of $8,025 in union funds. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
On April 25, 2001, in New York County, Laura Greco, former treasurer of Local 1501, State, County and Municipal Employees (District Council 37), was indicted for grand larceny in the amount of $8,965 for using union funds for personal expenses. The charges were the result of information provided by the OLMS New York District Office.
On March 26, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama, Frederick Michael Jordan and Robert Gaillard, president and former treasurer, respectively, of Local 1575 of the Paper, Allied-Industrial Chemical and Energy Workers International Union (PACE), each pled guilty to one count of failing to maintain union records. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
On March 23, 2001, in the United Sates District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, Steven Lathrop and Randy Kamp, former treasurer and president, respectively, of Local 07-9937 of the Paper, Allied-Industrial Chemical and Energy Workers International Union (PACE), entered guilty pleas to informations charging them with embezzling $52,997 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
On March 21, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Donald G. Martin, former financial secretary of Steelworkers Local 35-8681, was indicted on fifty counts of embezzling a total of $10,591 in union funds, five counts of making false entries in union records, and two counts of false reporting. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
On March 20, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois, Robert Comerford, former treasurer of Letter Carriers Branch 31, pled guilty to one count of embezzling in excess of $10,000 in union funds. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On March 19, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, Barclay Grayson, a minority owner and President of Capital Consultants, LLC, pled guilty to one count of mail fraud in connection with his participation in a scheme to defraud union pension plans in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1341. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office, the IRS, the FBI, the Department of Labor’s Pension & Welfare Benefits Administration, and the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General.
On March 16, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Janet Hornsby, former office secretary/bookkeeper of Plumbers Local 6, pled guilty to one count of embezzling $54,649 in union funds. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
On March 9, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Wilfield Bloomfield, former bookkeeper for Carpenters Local 1553, was indicted on 12 counts of embezzling $25,140.57 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
On March 8, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Elliot Cohn, president of a Florida-based firm that held itself out as providing collective bargaining and related services to labor organizations, pled guilty to one count of mail fraud which charged him with defrauding the Minnesota Licensed Practical Nurses (MLPNA) of $22,248 in reimbursement for airfare expenses never incurred, fraudulently increasing his compensation from the Technical Employees Association of Minnesota (TEAM) – which compensation was a percentage of TEAM’s expenses, and fraudulently increasing his firm’s compensation from TEAM from 70% of dues after TEAM expenses were paid to 100% of that amount, which resulted in an overpayment of $31,670. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
On March 6, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota, Bryan Kroh, former treasurer of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Division 746, was indicted on one count of embezzling $33,469 in union funds and one count of making false statements in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001 by filing false LM-3 Labor Organization Annual Reports with OLMS. Also indicted was Kroh’s spouse, Dinah, on one count of aiding and abetting him in embezzling $6,105 of the total amount he was charged with embezzling. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
On February 28, 2001, the District Attorney of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania charged Gail McGranahan, a former employee of Mine Workers Local 1378, with 20 counts of forgery and 20 counts of theft and is seeking $6,610 in restitution to the union. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office.
On February 28, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, Shelley Sue Pfeifer, former bookkeeper-office secretary for Plasters Local 577, was indicted on charges of embezzling $16,493.27 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office.
On February 26, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, John Abbott, former secretary-treasurer of the Laborers District Council of Oregon, Southern Idaho, and Wyoming, pled guilty to one count of accepting $194,940 in gratuities to use his influence as a pension plan trustee in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1954 and one count of filing a false tax return by omitting gratuities of $76,560 in violation of 26 U.S.C. 7206(1). The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office, the IRS, FBI, the Department of Labor’s Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, and the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General.
On February 20, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, a one-count bill of information was filed charging Terry K. Wilson, former secretary-treasurer of Steelworkers Local 1133-L, with embezzling $22,073 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
On February 14, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Shawn Drake, former secretary-treasurer of Local 736 of the Paper, Allied-Industrial Chemical and Energy Workers International Union (PACE), was indicted on one count of embezzling $17,419 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
On February 5, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Barry James, former president of Musicians Local 389, pled guilty to a one-count information for filing a false labor organization annual financial report. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office.
On January 17, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Gregory Floto, president of Treasury Employees Chapter 116 in Tucson, Arizona, was indicted on seven counts of mail fraud/deprivation of honest services (three counts), making false statements (three counts), and obstruction of justice (one count). The charges were brought following a joint investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office and the U.S. Customs Service Office of Internal Affairs.
On January 9, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, a one-count indictment was returned charging Roger Causy, secretary-treasurer of Food and Commercial Workers Local 427-C, with embezzling $13,218 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
Last Updated: 02/12/10