December 19, 2008

Chicago contractor indicted for stealing from union employee benefit plans

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Chicago - On Thursday December 18 a federal grand jury in Chicago, Illinois, indicted Beny Garneata for embezzlement and false statements related to the employee benefit plans of the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers’ Union Local 130 and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union Local 134.

December 17, 2008

U.S. Labor Department publishes 2008 Form M-1 for multiple employer welfare arrangements

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today announced the availability of the 2008 Form M-1 annual report for multiple employer welfare arrangements (MEWAs). Plan administrators may use EBSA’s online filing system to expedite processing of the form.

December 16, 2008

Labor Department seeks federal court judgment ordering distribution of 401(k) assets of Shaker Heights, Ohio business

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Shaker Heights, Ohio - The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court, Cleveland, requesting the appointment of an independent fiduciary to terminate the FFS Inc. 401(k) retirement plan and to distribute plan assets to the participants.

December 10, 2008

U.S. Labor Department sues president of Emergency Consultants Inc. to recover 401(k) assets

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Traverse City, Michigan – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the president and fiduciary of the 401(k) plan of Emergency Consultants Inc., Traverse City, for failing to forward contributions to the plan as soon as reasonably feasible, in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

December 3, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor sues defunct Atlanta software consulting company to protect 401(k) plan participants

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) has sued Computer Consulting Services Corp. in Atlanta and two fiduciaries to recover assets on behalf of the company’s 401(k) plan participants.

November 26, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor sues Bismarck, North Dakota, company and owners over delinquent 401(k) contributions

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Bismarck, North Dakota – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued LAS International of Bismarck and its owners for failing to forward $39,866.18 in delinquent employee and employer contributions, and to timely remit employee contributions and loan repayment to the company’s 401(k) retirement savings plan.

November 25, 2008

Employee Benefits Security Administration issues guidance on fidelity bonding for employee benefit plans

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today released Field Assistance Bulletin (FAB) 2008-04, which provides guidance to the agency’s national and regional offices on the fidelity bonding requirements under section 412 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

November 25, 2008

U.S. Labor Department sues fiduciary of Frankfort, Ill.-based company to recover 401(k) assets

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

FRANKFORT, Ill. – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the owner and 401(k) plan fiduciary of J&L Electronic Service Inc. for improperly using 401(k) contributions deducted from employees' paychecks to benefit the company in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

November 25, 2008

U.S. Labor Department releases advance copies of 2008 Form 5500 annual report

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), the Internal Revenue Service and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. today released advance informational copies of the 2008 Form 5500 annual return/report and related instructions.

November 21, 2008

Owner of defunct North Carolina sign company pleads guilty to embezzlement of 401(k) and health plan assets

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Atlanta — The owner of defunct Wesco Signs Inc., Concord, North Carolina, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina in Greensboro to two counts of embezzlement of assets from the company’s 401(k) and health plans.

November 20, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor sues North Carolina health provider to restore funds to employees’ pension plan

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued current and former fiduciaries of the money purchase pension plan of Vance-Warren Comprehensive Health Plan Inc. of Manson, North Carolina, to restore more than $120,000 in employer contributions and interest owed to the company’s pension plan.

November 19, 2008

U.S. Labor Department to sponsor free Bay Area workshops on complying with federal pension law

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

San Francisco – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits and Security Administration (EBSA) will hold free, half-day workshops on December 8, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. PST, to help employers, the employee benefit community and others better comply with federal pension law. The workshops will be held at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building, 1301 Clay St., 5th Floor North Tower, Conference Room H, Oakland, California.

November 17, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor sues to recover 401(k) assets for former employees of Stockton, California dental manufacturer

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

San Francisco – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued a Stockton, California, dental manufacturer and its principals to recover nearly $28,000 in employee contributions and participant loan repayments owed to the company’s 401(k) profit sharing plan.

November 17, 2008

Judgment requires company president to restore losses to Kinetic Solutions ESOP Plan in White Bear Lake, Minnesota

Date of Action: Nov. 16, 2015

Type of Action: Consent Judgment

Name of Defendant: Paul Wax, Kinetic Solutions Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan

Allegations: An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration, Kansas City Regional Office, resulted in the department filing a suit in federal court alleging violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

November 17, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor sponsors free webcast November 20 on federal and Texas laws about continuation of health benefits

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and the Texas Department of Insurance will host a free, two-hour webcast on November 20 from 10 a.m. to noon (CST) to help employers and benefit professionals comply with the federal Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) and the Texas Specific Continuation of Coverage.

November 13, 2008

U.S. Labor Department sues California defendants for misusing millions of dollars in plan assets

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

November 10, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor sponsors free webcast series on federal and Texas health benefit laws in November

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and the Texas Department of Insurance will host a free, two-hour webcast on November 13 from 10 a.m. to noon (CST) to help employers and health professionals comply with federal and Texas state health laws.

November 7, 2008

U.S. Labor Department sues to appoint independent fiduciaries to protect assets of abandoned 401(k) plans of Bay Area companies

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

San Francisco – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Vigilance, Inc. of Sunnyvale, California, and its subsidiary Harmony Software Inc. of San Mateo, to obtain the appointment of independent fiduciaries to manage and distribute approximately $580,565.22 in assets to participants covered by the two companies’ abandoned 401(k) plans.

November 7, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor obtains default judgment appointing independent fiduciary for abandoned Georgia 401(k) plan

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a default judgment appointing M. Larry Lefoldt as the independent fiduciary for the 401(k) plan of defunct TDH Enterprise Corp. of Morrow, Georgia.

November 3, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor sponsors free webcast series on federal and Texas health benefit laws in November

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Washington – A free, two-hour webcast to help employers and pension professionals providers comply with federal and Texas state health laws will be hosted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and the Texas Department of Insurance on November 6 from 10 a.m. to noon (CST). Additional webcasts are scheduled for November 13 and 20 on new health laws and guidance.