U.S. Labor Departments Office of Labor-Management Standards continues fiscal year with strong results

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) today announced its criminal enforcement data for November 2008. During the month, OLMS obtained five convictions and eight indictments, and payments or orders of restitution totaled more than $891,000. The office's November results bring its totals for fiscal year 2009, which began on Oct. 1, 2008, to 18 indictments, 15 convictions and payments or orders of restitution of $1,516,522. The bulk of the cases involved the embezzlement of union funds.

"OLMS kept up its enforcement efforts in November to prevent embezzlements and other crimes. While conditions in the economy might cause hardship and lead to the temptation to steal, we stand as committed as ever to pursue those who might abuse their positions of trust in labor unions," said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Labor-Management Standards Don Todd. "OLMS's enforcement efforts last month yielded five convictions and payment or court orders for restitution approaching $900,000. These results ultimately benefit union members."

OLMS is the federal law enforcement agency responsible for administering most provisions of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (LMRDA). The agency's criminal enforcement program includes investigations of embezzlement from labor organizations, extortionate picketing, deprivation of union members' rights by force or violence, and fraud in union officer elections. The agency's civil program receives and publicly discloses unions' annual financial reports, conducts compliance audits of labor unions and seeks civil remedies for violations of officer election procedures. In certain cases, OLMS also conducts joint investigations with other Labor Department agencies, including the Employee Benefits Security Administration and the Office of Inspector General, as well as other law enforcement agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

OLMS's public disclosure Web site at www.unionreports.gov contains union annual financial reports and additional reports required to be filed under the LMRDA as well as copies of collective bargaining agreements. Other information, including synopses of OLMS enforcement actions, is available at www.olms.dol.gov.

Editor's Notes: A listing of selected OLMS enforcement actions during November 2008 is below. An indictment is the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity. As in all criminal cases, each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Criminal charges and indictments noted in these materials are accusations only.

Selected Enforcement Actions in November 2008Office of Labor-Management StandardsU.S. Department of Labor

Sentencings

Former Writers Guild Fund Employee Sentenced for Conspiracy in Theft of Union Funds On Nov. 10, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Michelle Trinh, former assistant administrator of the Writers Guild of America-West Foreign Levies Fund, was sentenced to five years probation and 100 hours of community service, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $17,228 and a $100 special assessment. Trinh will be barred from union employment or holding union office for a period of 13 years. On Feb. 28, 2008, Trinh was charged with conspiracy to embezzle and embezzlement of union funds in the same amount. From December 2006 to February 2007, Trinh and her accomplice, Tracy Howze, conspired to falsify the union's database by designating Howze as a beneficiary of the foreign levies fund, and releasing union checks payable to Howze, which they later cashed and split for personal expenses. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.

Former Steelworkers Local 20 Officer Sentenced for Embezzling Union Funds On Nov. 12, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Randy Sanders, former executive vice president of Steelworkers Local 20 (located in Kaukauna, Wis.), was sentenced to two years probation, a $1,000 fine and a $200 special assessment, and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $7,300. On Aug. 22, 2008, Sanders pleaded guilty to two counts of embezzling union funds in the amount of $762.48. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.

Former Asbestos Worker Local 89 Official Sentenced to Incarceration for Embezzling Union Funds On Nov. 14, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, John Dabronzo, former business agent/Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) administrator of Asbestos Local 89 (located in Trenton, N.J.), was sentenced to two years and six months incarceration, as well as three years probation, and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $829,736.20. On June 16, 2008, Dabronzo pleaded guilty to two counts of embezzlement of union funds. Between January 2000 and May 2007, Dabronzo embezzled funds in the amount of $433,308.47 from Local 89 and $396,454.73 from the JATC. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, the Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General, the Employment Benefits Standards Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Former Steelworkers Local 9349 Officer Sentenced for Embezzling More Than $19,000 On Nov. 26, in the District Court of St. Louis County, Minn., Kathleen Kordish, former financial secretary of Steelworkers Local 9349 (located in Hibbing, Minn.), was sentenced to incarceration for one year and one day (stayed for three years of probation) and 45 days of electronic monitoring, and ordered to pay a $1,085 fine and $19, 926.15 in restitution. On Oct. 22, 2008, Kordish had pleaded guilty to one felony count of theft by false representation in excess of $2,500. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.

Guilty Pleas

Former Letter Carriers Branch 272 Secretary-Treasurer Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $45,000 On Nov. 6, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Kevin Sherlock, former secretary-treasurer of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 272 (located in Newton, N.J.), pleaded guilty to embezzling union funds in the amount of $45,000. The plea follows a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office and the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspection General.

Former AFGE Local 2832 Officer Charged with Theft On Nov. 13, in the Court of Common Pleas of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Willie Harris, former secretary-treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2823 (located in Cleveland, Ohio) was indicted for theft exceeding $5,000, misuse of a credit card and unauthorized access to a computer. The indictment follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office and the Veterans Administration's Office of Inspector General.

Former APWU Officer Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $18,000 On Nov. 17, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Tina Curtis, former secretary-treasurer of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 232 (located in Columbus, Ohio), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $18,283. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.

Former BLET Division 1 Officer Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $18,000 in Union Funds On Nov. 20, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Charles Bohanon, former secretary-treasurer of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) Division 1 (located in Petersburg, Mich.), pleaded guilty to embezzling union funds in the amount of $18,074.23. On Sept. 16, 2008, Bohanon had been charged with embezzling union funds in the same amount. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.

Former AFGE Local 704 Treasurer Pleads Guilty to Theft On Nov. 20, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, William Sargent, former treasurer of AFGE Local 704 (Chicago, Ill.) pleaded guilty to one count of theft of property in a special territorial jurisdiction of the United States in the amount of $800. On Nov. 10, 2008, a superseding information had charged Sargent with theft in the same amount. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.

Former Steelworkers Local 1019 Officer Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $23,000 On Nov. 24, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Lyndon Denney, former financial secretary of Steelworkers (formerly PACE) Local 1019 (located in Kalamazoo, Mich.), pleaded guilty to embezzling union funds in the amount of $23,627.32. On Nov. 6, 2008, an information had been filed charging Denney with embezzling union funds in the same amount. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.

Steelworkers Local Union Insurance Committee Chair Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Union Funds On Nov. 25, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Mary Schaeuble, chair of the Insurance Committee of Steelworkers Local 20 (located in Kaukauna, Wis.), pleaded guilty to two counts of embezzling union funds in the amount of $730.94. On May 20, 2008, Schaeuble had been indicted on 13 counts of embezzling union funds in the amount of $3,379.30. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.

Criminal Charges and Indictments*

Former UWUA Local 600 Official Charged with Embezzling Union Funds On Nov. 13, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Kenneth Wallace, former delegate of Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) Local 600 (located in Newport, Ky.), was indicted on two counts of embezzling union funds in the amount of $2,484.02 between April 30, 2005, and June 28, 2006. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.

Former Machinist Local 1943 Official Charged with Making False Entry in Union Record On Nov. 17, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Jeffrey Baker, former co-chairman of the Picket Committee for Machinists Local Lodge 1943 (located in Middletown, Ohio), was charged with one count of making a false entry in a union record when he misappropriated approximately 107 strike pay checks and forged members' signatures on check registers for 101 checks. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.

Former Machinists Local 2460 Officer Indicted for Embezzling $90,500 in Union Funds On Nov. 18, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Glen Gard, former secretary-treasurer of Machinists Local 2460 (located in Pensacola, Fla.) was indicted on one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of approximately $90,500. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Miami Resident Investigator Office.

Former United Steelworkers Local 9-415 Officer Indicted for Embezzling $105,000 in Union Funds On Nov. 19, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tarris D. Dallas, former financial secretary-treasurer of United Steelworkers Local 9-415 (located in Fernandina Beach, Fla.) was indicted on one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of approximately $105,000. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office.

Former AFGE Local 3028 President Charged with False Representation On Nov. 24, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, an information was filed charging Kevin McGee, former president of AFGE Local 3028 (located in Anchorage, Alaska), with one count of knowingly making a false material representation in a report required to be filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. The information follows an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office.

Enforcement Actions and Civil Complaints

DTEU Enters into Voluntary Compliance Agreement with OLMS On Nov. 14, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with Dean Transportation Employees Union (DTEU) (located in Lansing, Mich.) concerning the challenged election of officers conducted on Aug. 19, 2008. The union agreed to conduct new nominations, if necessary, and a new election, under OLMS supervision, for the offices of president, vice president, secretary-treasurer and chief steward. The OLMS investigation of the challenged election disclosed that DTEU failed to elect officers by secret ballot. The union numbered the ballots and kept records of the ballot used by each voter. The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.

AFGE Local 1200 Enters into Voluntary Compliance Agreement with OLMS On Nov. 24, 2008, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with the AFGE Local 1200 (located in Laguna Niguel, Calif.) concerning the challenged election of officers conducted on June 10, 2008. The union agreed to conduct new nominations and a new election, under OLMS supervision, for the offices of president, vice president, secretary-treasurer and three chief steward positions. The OLMS investigation of the challenged election disclosed that the local failed to provide proper notice of nomination and election when not all members received the nominations and election notice. Additionally, those members did not receive a ballot in order to vote. The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.

U.S. Department of Labor Files Complaint to Set Aside U.S. Park Police Election On Nov. 24, the department filed a complaint with its administrative law judges against the U.S. Park Police Labor Committee (located in Washington, D.C.). The complaint seeks to void the Oct. 25, 2007, election for the offices of chairman, vice chairman, executive chief steward for the District of Columbia and executive chief steward for New York, and to conduct a new election, under OLMS supervision, for those positions. The complaint alleges that the union failed to mail an election notice to its members at their last known home addresses and failed to hold a secret ballot election. The complaint follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.

U.S. Department of Labor Files Suit to Rerun Part of Bakery Workers Local 3 Supervised Election On Nov. 26, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, the department filed suit against Bakery Workers Local 3 (located in Long Island City, N.Y.). The lawsuit seeks to void the Aug. 29, 2008, rerun election supervised by the department for the offices of two unionwide business agent positions, and seeks new nominations and an election for those positions. The OLMS-supervised election on Aug. 29, 2008, included one Entenmann's Bakery business agent position elected solely by Entenmann's members. Following the election, Local 3 eliminated the Entenmann's position, thereby denying Entenmann's members the opportunity to run for and vote for the unionwide business agent positions. The suit follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office.

** Indictments and informations are the methods by which people are charged with criminal activity. As in all criminal cases, each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Criminal charges and indictments noted in these materials are accusations only.

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