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 18, 2015, in the Superior Court in the City of Clifton, New Jersey, Sharon Williams-Savage, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2425 (located in East Orange, N.J.), was indicted on two counts of misapplication of entrusted property exceeding $1,000 in the 3rd degree and theft by unlawful taking or disposition exceeding $500 in the 3rd degree between 2008 and 2012, in violation of NJSA 2C:21-15 and 2C:20-3, respectively. The indictment follows a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office and the New Jersey State Criminal Division.
On December 16, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Alaska, Jeffrey W. Davies, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 183 (located in Anchorage, Alaska), was indicted for one count of embezzling over $100,000 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The union members’ past employment history led them to be affiliated with AFGE even though they are not currently federal or state employees. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Anchorage Field Office.
On December 16, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, John Hamilton, former business manager of International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 324 (located in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), was charged in a nine-count indictment with one count of interference with commerce by extortion and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion (18 U.S.C. 1951); one count of attempted structuring of financial transactions (31 U.S.C. 5324(a)(3)); one count of laundering of monetary instruments (18 U.S.C. 1956(a)(1)(B)(i) & (B)(ii)); one count of embezzlement of union funds (29 U.S.C. 501(c)); two counts of conspiracy to embezzle union funds (18 U.S.C. 371 & 29 U.S.C. 501(c)); one count of conspiracy to commit theft from an employee or welfare benefit fund (18 U.S.C. 371 & 664); and one count of conspiracy to commit honest services mail and wire fraud (18 U.S.C. 1349). The charges follow a joint investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On December 15, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Dawn Colley, former employee of United Steelworkers Local 8-719 (located in Ashland, Ky.), pled guilty and was sentenced for making false entries in records required to be kept by the LMRDA, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). Colley was sentenced to two years of probation and she was ordered to pay restitution totaling $4,200 ($7,446 previously paid) and a $25 special assessment. The guilty plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On December 14, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Howard Royal, former President of Government Security Officers Local 304 (located on Harrisburg, Pa.), was sentenced to six months of house arrest followed by six months of supervised probation and he was ordered to pay $66,989 in restitution. On July 17, 2015, Royal pled guilty to wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
On December 11, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, James Coffey, former President of United Steelworkers Local 5-887 (located in Newell, W.Va.), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $6,260, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh Office.
On December 10, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Jerry Vincent, former President of Teamsters Local 783 (located in Louisville, Ky.), was sentenced to six months of home confinement with location monitoring and three years of probation, and he was ordered to pay restitution totaling $22,251 and a $425 special assessment. On August 17, 2105, Vincent pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $17,272, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and 13 counts of falsifying union records, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The $22,251 in restitution consists of the embezzled amount and funds obtained through an unearned vacation advance/illegal loan from Teamsters Local 783 to which Vincent did not plead guilty. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On December 10, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Juan ‘Alex’ Cedeno, former President and Health & Welfare Fund Trustee of Steelworkers Local 4-318 (located in Edison, N.J.), was sentenced to three years of probation and 250 hours of community service, and he was ordered to pay $33,583 in restitution and a $25 special assessment. On March 6, 2015, Cedeno pled guilty to one count of false reporting, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The sentencing follows an investigation by OLMS New York District Office.
On December 9, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Donn Pendergrass, President of Steelworkers Local 1191 (located in Mishawaka, Ind.), was indicted on one count of embezzling approximately $33,435 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On December 8, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Robert J. Tuttle, Jr., former President of International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 173 (located in Bradenton, Fla.), was indicted for four counts of embezzling approximately $4,857 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and one count of false records, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.
On December 3, 2015, in the Smith County Court in the State of Texas, Stanley Buchanan, former President of National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 493 (located in Tyler, Tex.), was charged in an indictment for credit card abuse in the amount of $7,776, in violation of Texas Penal Code 32.31(b)(3). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On December 3, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Timothy Casperson, former Treasurer of National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 249 (located in Menominee, Mich.), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $9,650, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office.
On December 2, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, Estella Collier, former office secretary and bookkeeper for Carpenters Local 200 (located in Columbus, Ohio), was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to attend Gamblers Anonymous. In addition, Collier was ordered to pay full restitution. On August 11, 2015, Collier pled guilty to one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), in the amount of $12,933. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On December 1, 2015, in the Onondaga County Court in Syracuse, New York, Patrick Rommevaux, former business representative of Elevator Constructors Local 62 (located in Syracuse, N.Y.), was charged with one felony count of grand larceny in the fourth degree for stealing $16,545 from his union. Rommevaux then pled guilty to the charge. The charge and guilty plea follow an investigation from the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office.
On December 1, 2015, in the Lucas County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas, John Allen, former Treasurer of International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) Local 1982 (located in Toledo, Ohio), was charged with one count of theft in the amount of $1,940, in violation of Ohio Revised Code 2913.02. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On November 30, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, James “Jimmy the Bull” Deamicis, former Steward of International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 82 (located in South Boston, Mass.), pled guilty to three counts of mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1341, and one count of theft of government property, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 641, for collection of $41,391 in overpaid state unemployment insurance benefits while working as a member of Local 82. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
On November 20, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Henry Shuler, former Treasurer of United Transportation Union (UTU) Local 1892 (located in Houston, Tex.), was sentenced to three years of probation and was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and a $100 special assessment. On April 27, 2015, Shuler pled guilty to one count of embezzling labor union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). Shuler paid $40,118 in restitution prior to his sentencing. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On November 20, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, Michael Low, former Treasurer of Laborers Local 2097 (located in Oklahoma City, Okla.), was sentenced to three years of probation, 18 days incarceration, and 104 hours of community service, and he was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and a $100 special assessment. Low previously paid full restitution. On March 26, 2015, Low was charged and pled guilty to one count of false statements to a federal agency, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001, for embezzling union funds in the amount of $12,937. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On November 23, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Tiffany Fawn Randle, former Secretary-Treasurer of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 652 (located in Kalamazoo, Mich.), was sentenced to one day of imprisonment (with credit for time served) and two years of probation, and she was ordered to pay $23,727 in restitution. On August 14, 2015, Randle pled guilty to one count of financial institution fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1344(2). The sentencing follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On November 19, 2015, in the Third Judicial District in Dona Ana County, New Mexico, Daniel Correa, business agent for Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 16 (located in Albuquerque, N.M.), was indicted for one count of embezzlement (over $20,000), in violation of NMSA 30-16-8. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On November 17, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, after a one week trial, James “Jimmy the Bull” Deamicis, former Steward of International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 82 (located in South Boston, Mass.), was found guilty of Hobbs Act extortion, attempted extortion, and extortion conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1951. Deamicis is scheduled to be sentenced on March 23, 2016. The guilty verdict follows a multi-agency investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
On November 17, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Jeffrey Magelitz, former Treasurer of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 415 (located in Vienna, Ill.), was indicted for one count of embezzling approximately $30,000 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and one count of false statements, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On November 17, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Joshua Lewis, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) Lodge 212 (located in Gillespie, Ill.), was indicted for one count of false statements, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On November 17, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Stephanie Hicks, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2207 (located in Birmingham, Ala.), was sentenced to six months in federal prison, six months of home confinement, and five years of supervised probation. Hicks was also ordered to pay $83,927 in restitution and a $1,600 fine. Hicks previously paid restitution in the amount of $8,000. Hicks pled guilty to eight counts of bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1344, and eight counts of passing a forged security, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 513, for a loss of $91,927. The sentencing follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office and the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Inspector General.
On November 16, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Pamela Nessen, former President of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 286 (located in Fort Wayne, Ind.), was sentenced to six months of home confinement and one year of probation. He was also ordered to pay $58,087 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. On June 11, 2015, Nessen pled guilty to one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On November 12, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Eric Givens, former Secretary-Treasurer of Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge 189 Amtrak Police Labor Committee and FOP Lodge 189 (located in New York, N.Y.), was sentenced to 16 months in prison and three years of supervised release, and he was ordered to pay approximately $127,000 in restitution and to forfeit approximately $12,000. On June 24, 2015, Givens pled guilty to embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), for embezzling at least $100,000 in total from the labor committee and lodge by fraudulently charging personal expenses and by withdrawing cash for personal use. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On November 10, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, John Earvin, former President of the United Federation of Law Enforcement Officers (UFLEO), located in New Rochelle, N.Y., was sentenced to six months of home confinement, three years of probation, and 600 hours of community service, and he was ordered to pay $28,012 in restitution. On June 19, 2015, Earvin pled guilty to wire fraud in connection with ATM withdrawals from the union account for personal use, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office.
On November 10, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, Shelly Sutton, former Treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 477 (located in Wichita, Kans.), was indicted on one count of bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1344. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On November 6, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Marcella Champion, former Secretary-Treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1831 (located in Washington, D.C.), was charged in a criminal information with one count of theft within a special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 661, for stealing $4,130 from the union. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
On November 5, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Idaho, Helen Herold-Roden, former Secretary-Treasurer of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 7603 (located in Meridian, Idaho), was sentenced to eight weekends in federal prison, six months of home confinement, 100 hours of community service, 60 months of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $138,658 and a $100 special assessment. On June 18, 2015, Herold-Roden pled guilty to one count of embezzling labor union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On November 2, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Helen Genal, former Financial Secretary Treasurer of United Autoworkers (UAW) Fox Valley Area Community Action Program (CAP), located in Oshkosh, Wisc., pled guilty to one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C 501(c). On July 28, 2015, an indictment was filed charging Genal with embezzling $29,968 by issuing checks to self for false expenses. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office.
On October 30, 2015, in the Greene County, Missouri Circuit Court, Jackie Nutter, former Financial Secretary of United Steelworkers Local 15485 (located in Springfield, Mo.), pled guilty to one count of theft (value of property or services is $500 or more but less than $25,000), in violation of Missouri Statute RS:MO 570.030. Nutter was then sentenced to five years in prison (suspended execution of sentence) and five years of probation. Nutter previously paid full restitution in the amount of $12,284. On September 19, 2014, Nutter was charged with theft. The plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On October 30, 2015, in the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon for the County of Hood River, Bonita Scherling, former Secretary-Treasurer of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 7970 (located in Hood River, Ore.), was indicted on one count of Theft in the 1st Degree, one count of Forgery in the 1st Degree, and two counts of Identity Theft, all Class C Felonies in violation of ORS 164.055, ORS 165.013, and ORS 165.800, respectively. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On October 29, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Jacquelyn Askew, former bookkeeper for Painters District Council 35 (located in Roslindale, Mass.), was sentenced to two years of probation and was ordered to pay $18,720 in restitution, a $2,500 fine, and a $100 special assessment. Askew previously paid restitution in the amount of $22,209. On July 22, 2015, Askew pled guilty to one count of embezzling $40,930 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office.
On October 27, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Western Division, Julie Skaggs, former office manager of International Associations of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers Local 372 (located in Cincinnati, Ohio), was sentenced to six months of home incarceration, five years of probation, and was ordered to pay restitution totaling $67,874 and a $100 special assessment. On July 15, 2015, Skaggs pled guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds in the amount of $51,491, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On October 27, 2015, in the Hamilton County, Ohio Court of Common Pleas, Chad Petras, former Secretary-Treasurer of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 342-C (located in Cincinnati, Ohio), pled guilty to one count of attempted theft, in violation of O.R.C. 2923.02, and was sentenced to 180 days in jail (suspended), one year of probation, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,500 and a $150 fine. The plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On October 26, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Heather Banhidy, former office secretary for Plumbers Local 120 (located in Cleveland, Ohio), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). On August 12, 2015, an indictment was filed charging Banhidy with embezzling $13,906 by failing to record cash receipts. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On October 23, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Anthony Frederick, former business manager of Laborers Local 657 (located in Washington, D.C.), Christopher Kwegan, co-owner of STS Construction, and Gary Cooper, co-owner of STS Construction, were indicted on embezzlement from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c); conspiracy to embezzle from a labor organization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371; unlawful labor payments, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 186; conspiracy to commit unlawful labor payments, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371; wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343; honest services fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1346; money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1957; and aiding and abetting, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2. The indictment alleges, among other things, that Frederick paid nearly $1.1 million to STS Construction for minimal renovations done on the union administrative building and $580,000 to STS Construction, which was gross overpayment, for expediting permits on the union training center being worked on by another construction company. The indictment also alleges that STS Construction paid $225,000 for a down payment on a house for Frederick and more than $600,000 to a corporation owned in part by Frederick’s wife. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the FBI.
On October 20, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, James Adams, former Secretary Treasurer of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation (SMART) Transportation Division (formerly United Transportation Union) Local 427 (located in Byram, Miss.), was indicted on one count of embezzling $45,043 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and one count of making false statements, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On October 19, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska, Richard Molczyk, former Treasurer of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation (SMART) Transportation Division (formerly United Transportation Union) Local 493 (located in Fort Dodge, Iowa), was sentenced to five years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $13,196 and a $100 special assessment. On April 13, 2015, Molczyk pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On October 19, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (White Plains), Brian W. Scott, former President of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 503 (located in Monroe, N.Y.), was indicted on one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and one count of false reporting, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office.
On October 19, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (White Plains), William Davis, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1119 (located in Montrose, N.Y.), was indicted on one count of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343, and two counts of making false statements, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001. The charges follow a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office and the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Inspector General.
On October 14, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, Christopher Headlee, former Treasurer of United Government Security Officers of America (UGSOA) Local 50 (located in Colorado Springs, Colo.), pled guilty to one count of falsification of an annual financial report filed by a labor union, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On October 13, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Robin Pirrello, former President of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1637 (located in Erie, Pa.), was indicted on one count of embezzling $22,184 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh Office.
On October 8, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Northern Illinois, Michelle M. Misso, former bookkeeper for Ironworkers Local 63 (located in Broadview, Ill.), pled guilty to an information for one count of making a false entry in a book, record, report, and statement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). Misso pled guilty to the factual basis that her false record was one of several methods she used to embezzle $47,161 from the union. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office and Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On October 8, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Dawn Colley, former employee of United Steelworkers Local 8-719 (located in Ashland, Ky.), was charged in a three-count indictment for embezzling $7,201 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On October 7, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, David Deitrick, former Financial Secretary Treasurer of United Steelworkers Local 10-1338 (located in Shamokin, Pa.), was sentenced to two years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $8,993 and a $100 special assessment. On April 23, 2015, Deitrick pled guilty to an information charging one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
On October 7, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Terry Aters, former Treasurer of United Steelworkers Local 11-7686 (located in Marston, Mo.), was indicted on one count of embezzling $153,434 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On October 6, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, James Coffey, Jr., former President of United Steelworkers Local 5-887 (located in Newell, W.Va.), was charged in a two-count indictment with embezzling $7,098 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh Office.
On October 5, 2015, in the Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, Arizona, Anne Louise Susan, former business manager of Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 1386 (located in Phoenix, Ariz.), was charged in a 24-count indictment for Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices, in violation of Arizona Revised Statute (A.R.S.) 13-2310, a class 4 felony (1 count); Theft, in violation of A.R.S. 13-1802, a class 3 felony (1 count); Forgery, in violation of A.R.S. 13-2002, a class 4 felony (21 counts); and Taking the Identity of Another, in violation of A.R.S. 13-2008, a class 4 felony (1 count). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Phoenix Resident Investigative Office.
On October 5, 2015, in the Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, Arizona, Therlen Mayne Benally, former Treasurer of Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 1386 (located in Phoenix, Ariz.), was charged in a 29-count indictment for Facilitation of Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices, in violation of Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) 13-2310 and 13-1004, a class 6 felony (1 count); Theft, in violation of A.R.S. 13-1802, a class 6 felony (1 count); and Forgery, in violation of A.R.S. 13-2002, a class 4 felony (27 counts). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Phoenix Resident Investigative Office.
On October 2, 2015, in the United States District Court District of New Hampshire, Gregory Paradis, former Chief Steward of the United Federation of Special Police and Security Officers (UFSPSO), located in Seabrook, N.H., pled guilty to one count of embezzling $13,493 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office.
On September 30, 2015, in the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda, Maria Del Cupolo, former Bookkeeper for International Association of Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons (OPCMIA) Local 300 (located in Oakland, Calif.), pled guilty to a single count of grand theft with an excessive loss over $65,000, in violation of California Penal Code 487(a). Del Cupolo was then sentenced to five years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $96,842. On December 2, 2015, Del Cupolo received an additional sentence of one year in Santa Rita County jail. The guilty plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On September 30, 2015, in the 8th District Court of Kalamazoo County, Michigan, a criminal complaint was filed charging Alton Alexander, former Financial Secretary of United Steelworkers of America Local 2-479 (located in Plainwell, Mich.), with one count of misdemeanor embezzlement of $200 or more but less than $1,000, in violation of Michigan Compiled Laws 750.174(3)(a). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office.
On September 28, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, Christopher Headlee, former Treasurer of United Government Security Officers of America (UGSOA) Local 50 (located in Colorado Springs, Colo.), was charged in an indictment for one count of falsification of an annual financial report filed by a labor union, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The indictment was unsealed on October 14, 2015. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On September 29, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Paul Stewart, former Vice President of the Detroit Police Officers Association (located in Detroit, Mich.), was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. Restitution is to be determined at a future hearing. On February 23, 2016, Stewart was additionally ordered to pay $175,000 in restitution. On December 8, 2014, Stewart was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud through bribes and kickbacks. The evidence at trial showed that Detroit’s two retirement systems lost more than $97 million on pension deals corrupted by bribes and kickbacks taken or paid by Stewart and his co-defendants in return for votes on investment decisions made by the boards of trustees of the two pension systems, of which Stewart was a member. During the conspiracy, Stewart accepted more than $48,000 in cash, trips, meals, drinks, and other things of value in return for his support on pension deals proposed by the givers of the bribes. The sentencing follows a multi-agency investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On September 24, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Thomas Flaherty, former member of International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 82 (located in South Boston, Mass.), was sentenced to two years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution of $21,011 and a fine of $1,000. On June 29, 2015, Flaherty pled guilty to three counts of mail fraud for defrauding the Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development, Division of Unemployment Assistance of unemployment insurance benefits. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Boston Police Department.
On September 17, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Northern Division, Edward Mason, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2274 (located in Saginaw, Mich.), pled guilty to one count of making false statements in an official certificate or writing, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1018. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On September 14, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Maine, Mark P. Durinski, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 294 (located in Limestone, Maine), pled guilty to three counts of making false statements and entries on LM-Reports, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001(a)(3). Durinski agreed to make restitution in the amount of $53,544 as part of this plea. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office.
On September 14, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Sergio Rascon, Jr., former bookkeeper assistant for LIUNA Local 300 (located in Los Angeles, Calif.), was sentenced to one year of probation and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. On June 9, 2015, Rascon pled guilty to one count of embezzling $2,417 in labor union assets, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office and DOL’s Office of Inspector General.
On September 14, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, Richard Johnson, former Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1433 (located in Phoenix, Ariz.), was sentenced to 18 months of incarceration, three years of probation, and was ordered to pay $273,489 in restitution and a $425 special assessment. On June 2, 2015, Johnson pled guilty to a five-count information for Embezzlement of Union Assets (three counts), in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c); Forgery (one count), in violation of 18 U.S.C. 513(a); and False Reporting (one count), in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The sentencing follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Phoenix Resident Investigative Office and the Internal Revenue Service.
On September 9, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, John Jones, former Financial Secretary of United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners Local 59 (located in Spokane, Wash.), was sentenced to two months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,762 and a $100 special assessment. Jones had previously made restitution payments. On June 11, 2015, Jones pled guilty to one count of embezzling labor union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On September 9, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Paul Florez, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 3922 (located in El Paso, Tex.), was sentenced to 180 days of home confinement, five years of probation, and was ordered to pay $44,878 in restitution and a $5,000 fine. On June 10, 2015, Florez pled guilty to a one-count indictment for taking away with the intent to steal property of another within special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 661. The sentencing following follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On September 3, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Jeremy Bolte, former Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWE) Lodge 800 (located in Kansas City, Mo.), was sentenced to five years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution of $12,500 and a special assessment of $1,000. On October 29, 2014, Bolte pled guilty to 10 counts of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On September 2, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Danny L. Rawls, former member of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2297 (located in Shreveport, La.), pled guilty to one charge of making a false statement to an OLMS investigator, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On September 2, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Steven Minella, former President and Business Agent of International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 324 (located in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), pled guilty to one count of misprision of a felony, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 4, for failing to report to appropriate authorities the commission of extortion (18 U.S.C. 1951) by another Local 324 official. The guilty plea follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On September 1, 2015, in the United States District Court of South Carolina, Sharon Holmes, former Secretary-Treasurer of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 807 (located in Columbia, S.C.), was indicted on one count of embezzlement in the amount of $41,823, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c); one count of falsification of union records, in violation of 29 U.S.C 439(c); one count of wire fraud in the amount of $178,330, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343; and one count of fraud and related activity in connection with access devices, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1029(a)(2). The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.
On September 1, 2015, in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, Betty Robinson, former President of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 2751 (located in Baltimore, Md.), was indicted on one count of theft of at least $10,000 but less than $100,000, in violation of Criminal Law Article, Section 7-104 of the Annotated Code of Maryland. The indictment was the result of an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
On August 31, 2015, in the Hennepin County Court of Minnesota, Dean Johnson, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 899 (located in Minneapolis, Minn.), was charged with one felony count of theft by swindle, in violation of Minnesota Statute 609.52. The complaint alleges that Johnson stole $2,036 between January 2013 and August 2013. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office and the Minneapolis Airport Police.
On August 31, 2015, in the Hennepin County Court of Minnesota, Edward Barker, former Vice President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 899 (located in Minneapolis, Minn.), was charged with one felony count of theft by swindle, in violation of Minnesota Statute 609.52. The complaint alleges that Barker stole $1,790 between March 2013 and July 2013. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office and the Minneapolis Airport Police.
On August 27, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Cynthia Gale Angulo, former President of the Currency and Security Handlers Association (CASHA), located in Houston, Texas, pled guilty to one count of embezzling $61,200 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On August 27, 2015, in the Court of Common Pleas of Washington County Pennsylvania, Rae Dawn Grillo, former Treasurer of the Charleroi Area Education Association (CAEA), located in Charleroi, Pa., pled guilty to theft of $65,963 in association funds, in violation of 18 Pa. Criminal Code 3921(a). Grillo was then sentenced to nine months of electronic monitoring, five years of probation, 200 hours of community service, and was ordered to pay the remaining restitution in the amount $8,175. The guilty plea and sentencing follow a joint investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On August 25, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Michelle Misso, former bookkeeper of Ironworkers Local 63 (located in Broadview, Ill.), was charged in a one-count information with making a false entry on a check, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The charge follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On August 20, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Michael C. Trembulak, former President of Utility Workers Union Local 475 (located in Rochester, Pa.), was sentenced to five months of incarceration, followed by six months of home confinement, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount $31,528. On March 4, 2015, Trembulak had previously pled guilty to embezzlement of union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
On August 18, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Karen McJimpson, former Executive Vice President of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 4004 (located in Detroit, Mich.), was charged in a one-count indictment with embezzling approximately $19,000 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office.
On August 17, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Jerry Vincent, former President of Teamsters Local 783 (located in Louisville, Ky.), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $17,272 and 13 counts of falsifying union records, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and 29 U.S.C. 439(c), respectively. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On August 14, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Tiffany Fawn Randle, former Secretary-Treasurer of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 652 (located in Kalamazoo, Mich.), pled guilty to one count of financial institution fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1344(2), for using the proceeds of forged union checks for personal benefit. The guilty plea follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On August 12, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire, Gregory Paradis, former Chief Steward of United Federation of Special Police and Security Officers (UFSPSO) Local 501 (located in Seabrook, N.H.), was charged in a one-count indictment with embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office.
On August 12, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Jesus Gonzales, President of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 300 (formerly Local 488-489), located in Lansing, Mich., was charged with one count of embezzling $6,720 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and one count of falsifying financial records, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The charges follow a joint investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office and the United States Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General.
On August 12, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Heather Banhidy, former office secretary for Plumbers Local 120 (located in Cleveland, Ohio), was indicted for one count of embezzlement in the amount of $13,906, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and two counts of falsification of union records, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On August 11, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Estella Collier, former office secretary for Carpenters Local 200 (located in Columbus, Ohio), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). On July 28, 2015, an information was filed charging Collier with embezzling $12,933 by writing unauthorized checks payable to herself and her credit union as well as using the union’s bank account to make personal purchases from online merchants. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On August 10, 2015, in the Circuit Court of Summers County, West Virginia, Nathan McCallister, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) Division 101 (located in Hinton, W.Va.), was sentenced to two years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,409. On June 12, 2015, McCallister pled guilty to one count of felony embezzlement of an amount more than $1,000, in violation of West Virginia Code 61-3-20. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
On August 7, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Maine, Mark P. Durinski, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 294 (located in Limestone, Maine), was charged in a three-count information with making false statements and entries on LM-Reports, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001(a)(3). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office.
On August 7, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Carolyn Hall, bookkeeper for Laborers Local 1197 (located in McLeansboro, Ill.), pled guilty to embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). On April 23, 2015, Hall was indicted for one count of embezzling $26,491 in union funds. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On August 6, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois, Jimmy L. Bynum, Jr., President of American Allied Workers Skilled Trades (AAWST) Local 944 (located in Pembroke Township, Ill.), was charged in a one-count indictment for embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On July 30, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Maxine Davis, former President of National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) Local 1953 (located in Barksdale, La.), was sentenced to one year of unsupervised probation and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. Davis previously paid restitution in the amount of $4,875. On July 27, 2015, Davis pled guilty to one count of false statements, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On July 28, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Helen Genal, former Financial Secretary-Treasurer of the United Autoworkers (UAW) Fox Valley Area Community Action Program (CAP), located in Oshkosh, Wisc., was charged with one count of embezzling $29,968 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and one count of making a materially false statement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office.
On July 28, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Estella Collier, former office secretary for Carpenters Local 200 (located in Columbus, Ohio), was charged in an information with one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). Collier is charged with embezzling $12,933 by writing unauthorized checks payable to herself and her credit union as well as using the union’s bank account to make personal purchases from online merchants. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On July 27, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Maxine Davis, former President of National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) Local 1953 (located in Barksdale, La.), was charged with one count of false statements, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). She then pled guilty to the charge. The charge and plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On July 27, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Tiffany Fawn Randle, former Secretary-Treasurer of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 652 (located in Kalamazoo, Mich.), was charged in a one-count information with financial institution fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1344(2), for using the proceeds of forged union checks for personal benefit. The charge follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On July 23, 2015, in the Clark County, Indiana, Circuit Court, an information was filed against Diana Brown, former Secretary-Treasurer of Communications Workers of America Local 84807 (located in Jeffersonville, Ind.), for ten counts of felony forgery, in violation of I.C. 35-43-5-2(b)(1), and one count of felony theft, in violation of I.C. 35-43-4-2(a). The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On July 22, 2015, in the United States District Court of Massachusetts, Jacqueline Askew, a former bookkeeper for Painters District Council 35 (located in Roslindale, Mass.), pled guilty to one count of embezzling $40,930 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office.
On July 17, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Shirley Johns, former Secretary-Treasurer of National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) Local 1953 (located in Barksdale, La.), pled guilty to one count of false statements, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). She was then sentenced to one year of unsupervised probation and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. Johns previously paid restitution in the amount of $7,190. The plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On July 17, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Howard Royal, former President of Government Security Officers Local 304 (located in Harrisburg, Pa.), was charged and pled guilty to one count of wire fraud resulting in misappropriation of union funds in the amount $66,989. The charge and plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
On July 15, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Western Division, Julie Skaggs, former office manager for International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers Local 372 (located in Cincinnati, Ohio), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds in the amount of $51,491, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On July 14, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Shirley Johns, former Secretary Treasurer of National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) Local 1953 (located in Barksdale, La.), was charged in a one-count information with false statements, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On July 9, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Raul Mascote, former Secretary-Treasurer of International Association of Machinists Lodge 2458 (located in Minooka, Ill.), was charged in a one-count information with embezzling $62,263 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On July 7, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Curtis Bullick, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 3254 (located in Bunker Hill, Ind.), was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay restitution of $2,107 and a special assessment of $25. On March 31, 2015, Bullick pled guilty to a one-count information for taking away with intent to steal property of another within a special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 661. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On July 6, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Ira Alper, former Treasurer of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) District 9 (located in Madison, Wis.), was sentenced to four months imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release including six months home detention. Alper was ordered to pay restitution of $41,568 and a $100 special assessment. On October 13, 2013, Alper pled guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On July 1, 2015, in the State of Ohio, Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, Thomas Wolfer, former Financial Secretary of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 84729 (located in Fayetteville, Ohio), was sentenced to three years of community control and ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution plus court costs. On March 19, 2015, Wolfer pled guilty to one count of felony theft, in violation of Ohio Revised Code 2913.02(A)(2). The sentencing follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office and the Hamilton County, Ohio Sheriff’s Office.
On July 1, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Glenn Robert Smith, former comptroller for the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights (located in Warren, Mich.), was charged in a one-count information with embezzling $499,087 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On July 1, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Rocco Miranti, Business Manager of Allied Novelty and Production Workers Local 223 (located in New York, N.Y.), Johnnie Miranti, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 223, and Louis Smith, former President of Teamsters Local 810 (located in Long Island City, N.Y.), were each charged with one count of conspiring to solicit and receive kickbacks to influence the operation of an employee benefit plan, conspiring to embezzle from an employee benefit plan, and conspiring to commit theft or embezzlement in the amount of $1,000,000. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York Police Department Organized Crime Unit, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On July 1, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, Alfonso Rodriguez, former Secretary-Treasurer for United Transportation Union (UTU) Local 117 (located in Southworth, Wash.), was sentenced to three years of probation and 160 hours of community service and order to pay restitution of $34,601. On March 20, 2015, Rodriguez pled guilty to one count of false reporting, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On June 29, 2015, in the Bexar County 175th Judicial District Court, Cathy Gaffney, former office secretary for Carpenters Local 14 (located in San Antonio, Tex.), was indicted on one count of Theft Between $1,500 and $20,000, in violation of Texas Statute 31.03. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On June 29, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Thomas Flaherty, former member of International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 82 (located in South Boston, Mass.), pled guilty to three counts of mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1341, for collection of $21,011 in overpaid state unemployment insurance benefits while working as a member of Local 82. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Boston Police Department.
On June 26, 2015, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Juanita Phillips, former President of American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Home Care Employees Local 389 (located in New York, N.Y.), was sentenced to one year of imprisonment. On September 16, 2014, Phillips pled guilty to one count of grand larceny in the third degree. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office.
On June 25, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, William Magee, former President of Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers & Grain Millers (BCTGM) Local 252G (located in Memphis, Tenn.), was sentenced to three years of probation, with six months home detention, and ordered to pay $71,908 in restitution and a $100 assessment. On February 11, 2015, Magee pled guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville Office.
On June 24, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Eric Givens, former Secretary-Treasurer of Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge 189 Amtrak Police Labor Committee, the national union representing Amtrak police officers, and an affiliated organization, FOP Lodge 189, (both located in New York, N.Y.), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), for embezzling at least $100,000 from the labor committee and lodge by fraudulently charging personal expenses and by withdrawing cash for personal use. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On June 24, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Jacqueline Askew, a former bookkeeper for International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 35 (located in Roslindale, Mass.), was charged in a one-count information with embezzling $40,930 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office.
On June 19, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Steven Minella, former President and business agent of International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 324 (located in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), was charged in a one-count information with misprision of a felony, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 4, for failing to report to appropriate authorities the commission of extortion (18 U.S.C. 1951) by another Local 324 official. The charge follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On June 19, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, John Earvin, former President of the United Federation of Law Enforcement Officers (UFLEO), a union representing special inspectors employed by the Metropolitan Transit Authority in New York City, pled guilty to wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343, in the amount of $28,012. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office.
On June 19, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Warren Joseph Annunziata, former fund administrator of United Craft and Industrial Workers Local 91 (located in Williston Park, N.Y.), was sentenced to two years of probation and was order to pay $126,858 in forfeiture and a $100,000 fine. On November 24, 2014, Annunziata pled guilty to a violation of 29 U.S.C. 1111 (persons prohibited from holding certain positions in relation to an employee benefit fund). The sentencing follows a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On June 18, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, Henry Mayer, former Secretary-Treasurer of National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 852 (located in Yakima, Wash.), was sentenced to two years of probation. Mayer paid $16,971 in restitution prior to his sentencing. On April 1, 2015, Mayer pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On June 18, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Idaho, Helen Herold-Roden, former Secretary-Treasurer for Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 7603 (located in Meridian, Idaho), was charged with and pled guilty to a single count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), for embezzling over $138,000 from the labor union. The sentencing is scheduled for September 8, 2015. The charge and plea follow an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On June 18, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Cynthia Gale Angulo, former President of the Currency and Security Handlers Association (located in Houston, Tex.), was charged in a one-count information with embezzlement of union funds in the approximate amount of $61,200, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On June 16, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Timothy Casperson, former Treasurer of National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 249 (located in Menominee, Mich.), was indicted on one count of embezzling $9,650 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c); one count of false reporting, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b); and one count of falsifying union records, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the Detroit-Milwaukee District Office.
On June 16, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Russell Cameron Hill, former Financial Secretary-Treasurer of National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 780 (located in New Bern, N.C.), was sentenced to 24 months of probation with home detention for a period not to exceed 180 consecutive days, and was ordered to pay a $1,200 fine and a $100 assessment. On March 11, 2015, Hill pled guilty to one count of embezzlement from a labor union, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.
On June 12, 2015, in the Circuit Court of Summers County, West Virginia, Nathan McCallister, former Treasurer of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) Division 101 (located in Hinton, W.V.), pled guilty to one count of felony embezzlement of an amount more than $1,000, in violation of West Virginia Code 61-3-20. The sentencing is scheduled for August 10, 2015. The plea follows an investigation by the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
On June 11, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, John P. Jones, former Financial Secretary for United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBCJA) Local 59 (located in Spokane, Wash.), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), for embezzling over $12,000 from the union. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On June 11, 2015, in the Circuit Court of Hancock County, Indiana, Marcia K. Shull, former Financial Secretary of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 661 (located in Greenfield, Ind.), was sentenced to 180 days of house arrest, 550 days of probation, and ordered to pay $168 in fines and costs. Shull previously paid restitution totaling $18,250. On May 7, 2015, Shull pled guilty to one count felony forgery, in violation of IRC 35-43-5-2(b)(1). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On June 11, 2015, in the United States Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Pamela Nessen, former President of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 286 (located in Fort Wayne, Ind.), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $58,598, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On June 10, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Paul Florez, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 3922 (located in El Paso, Tex.), pled guilty to theft within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction in the amount of $44,878, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 661. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On June 9, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Sergio Rascon, Jr., former bookkeeper assistant for Laborers Local 300 (located in Los Angeles, Calif.), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $2,417, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
On June 8, 2015, in Circuit Court for Prince George's County, Maryland, Rodney Horne, former Secretary-Treasurer of United Government Security Officers of America (UGSOA) Local 34 (located in Washington, D.C.), pled guilty to one count of theft over $500, in violation of Section 7-104 of the Maryland Criminal Code. Horne was then sentenced to five years of imprisonment, all of which was suspended, and 36 months of unsupervised probation, and was also ordered to pay $6,045 in restitution. The guilty plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office and the Prince George’s County Police Department.
On June 2, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, Richard Johnson, former Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1433 (located in Phoenix, Ariz.), was charged with three counts of embezzlement of union assets, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c); one count of forgery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 513(a); and one count of false reporting, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The charges relate to an embezzlement scheme that resulted in a loss of $273,489 in union assets. Johnson then pled guilty to all five counts. The charges and plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
On May 26, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, Salvatore E. Mauro, former President of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 1236 (located in Salisbury, N.C.), was sentenced to three years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution of $8,831 and a $25 assessment. On February 9, 2015, Mauro pled guilty to one count of creating a false report, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.
On May 21, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Sergio Rascon, Jr., former bookkeeper assistant for Laborers Local 300 (located in Los Angeles, Calif.), was charged with one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $2,417, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
On May 21, 2015, in the Buchanan County Circuit Court, Missouri, Dennis Fuston, former business manager for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 545 (located in St. Joseph, Mo.), was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $23,768 and a $25 assessment. On April 16, 2015, Fuston pled guilty to felony theft/stealing (value of property or services is $500 or more but less than $25,000) in violation of RSMO 570.030. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis Office.
On May 18, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Shiryll Durham, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1687 (located in Mountain Home, Tenn.), was sentenced to time served and was ordered to pay restitution of $2,640 and a $25 assessment. On January 21, 2015, Durham pled guilty to one count of knowingly taking and carrying, with the intent to steal, the personal property of another within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 661. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.
On May 11, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, Aide Spade, former Secretary-Treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 709 (located in Littleton, Colo.), was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay restitution of $14,234 plus an additional $5,000 fine. Spade previously paid $44,935 in restitution. On October 14, 2014, Spade pled guilty to one count of making and using a false document knowing the same to contain materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements and entries, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001(a)(3). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office and the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General.
On May 11, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Jesse E. Morgan, former President of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1707 (located in Kansas City, Mo.), was sentenced to 21 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $138,011 and a $100 assessment. On October 7, 2014, Morgan pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, in violation 18 U.S.C. 1343. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On May 7, 2015, in the Hancock County, Indiana Circuit Court, Marcia K. Shull, former Financial Secretary of United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) Local 661 (located in Greenfield, Ind.), pled guilty to one count felony forgery, in violation of IRC 35-43-5-2(b)(1). The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati- Cleveland District Office.
On May 5, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, John P. Jones, former Financial Secretary for United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBCJA) Local 59 (located in Spokane, Wash.), was indicted on a single count of embezzlement from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment followed an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On May 4, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, Leonard Bridge, II, former business manager for Elevator Constructors Local 131 (located in Albuquerque, N.M.), was sentenced to one year in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $140,877. On September 2, 2014, Bridge pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On April 30, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Sharon Ratcliff, former Secretary-Treasurer of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 6150 (located in Dallas, Tex.), was sentenced to three years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $79,526 and a $100 special assessment. On January 15, 2015, Ratcliff pled guilty to one count of embezzlement from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On April 29, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, Cynthia Collins, former Secretary-Treasurer of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 12 (located in Athens, Ga.), was sentenced to five years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $23,345 and a special assessment of $100. On January 21, 2015, Collins pled guilty to one count of embezzlement from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.
On April 27, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Henry Shuler, former Treasurer for United Transportation Union Local 1892 (located in Houston, Tex.), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and paid restitution in the amount of $40,118. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On April 23, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, David Deitrick, former Financial Secretary-Treasurer of United Steelworkers Local 10-1338 (located in Shamokin, Pa.), pled guilty to one count of embezzling $8,993 from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
On April 23, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Carolyn Hall, former bookkeeper for Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 1197 (located in McLeansboro, Ill.), was indicted on one count of embezzling $26,491 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On April 17, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, John Perry, former Secretary-Treasurer of International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 82 (located in South Boston, Mass.), was sentenced to 30 months of prison, one year of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $12,500 fine. On July 13, 2015, Perry was ordered to pay $1,200 in restitution. On November 19, 2014, Perry was convicted of one count of willfully permitting Joseph Burhoe to serve as a prohibited representative of Teamsters Local 82, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 504. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Employee Benefit Security Administration, and the Boston Police Department.
On April 17, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Joseph Burhoe, a former representative of International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 82 (located in South Boston, Mass.), was sentenced to 70 months of prison and three years of supervised release. On July 13, 2015, Burhoe was ordered to pay $6,695 in restitution. On November 19, 2014, Burhoe was convicted of one count of willfully serving as a prohibited representative of Teamsters Local 82, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 504. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Employee Benefit Security Administration, and the Boston Police Department.
On April 17, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska, Ray L. Lineweber, former legislative director for the United Transportation Union Nebraska State Legislative Board (located in Omaha, Nebr.), was sentenced to four months in prison, followed by an additional four months of electronic monitoring, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $102,907 and a $100 special assessment. On January 9, 2015, Lineweber pled guilty to one count of embezzlement from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), for embezzling $102,907 from the union. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On April 16, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Northern Division, Edward Mason, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2274 (located in Saginaw, Mich.), was charged in a one-count information with making false statements in an official certificate or writing, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1018. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On April 16, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, David Deitrick, former Financial Secretary-Treasurer of United Steelworkers Local 10-1338 (located in Shamokin, Pa.), was charged in a one-count information with embezzlement of $8,993 from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
On April 13, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska, Richard Molczyk, former Treasurer of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation (SMART) Transportation Division (formerly United Transportation Union) Local 493 (located in Fort Dodge, Iowa), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On April 13, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, David Deitrick, former Financial Secretary-Treasurer of United Steelworkers Local 10-1338 (located in Shamokin, Pa.), pled guilty to one count of embezzling $8,993 from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
On April 1, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, Henry Mayer, former Financial Secretary of National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Local 852 (located in Yakima, Wash.), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement from a labor union, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On March 31, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, South Bend, Curtis Bullick, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 3254 (located in Bunker Hill, Ind.), pled guilty to a one-count information for taking away with the intent to steal property of another within a special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 661. The sentencing is scheduled for July 7, 2015. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On March 30, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, Assane Faye, the founder and National President of the United Security Police Officers Association (USPOA), located in Washington, DC, was charged in an indictment with two counts of embezzlement of union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C 501(c), and seven counts of unemployment fraud, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. Section 1341. Faye was charged with embezzling over $300,000 from the union beginning in 2010. The indictment follows a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On March 30, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, John Earvin, former President of the United Federation of Law Enforcement Officers (UFLEO), located in Bellerose, N.Y., was charged in an indictment with wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343, for allegedly using an ATM card to make hundreds of cash withdrawals from the union’s bank account for personal use and defrauding the union of approximately $48,012. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office.
On March 26, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, Michael Low, former Secretary Treasurer of Laborers Local 2097 (located in Oklahoma City, Okla.), was charged and pled guilty to a one-count information of making a false statement to a federal agency, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001, for embezzling union funds in the amount of $12,937. The charge and plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On March 25, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, Henry Mayer, former Financial Secretary of National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Local 852 (located in Yakima, Wash.), was indicted on one count of embezzlement from a labor union, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On March 25, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk Division, Choi Hawks, former Treasurer of National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 6066 (located in Chesapeake, Va.), was sentenced to six months of home detention, five years of supervised probation, and was ordered to attend financial counseling and fraud counseling, and have a mental health evaluation. Hawks previously paid full restitution of $11,196. On December 17, 2014, Hawks pled guilty to one count of embezzlement from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
On March 25, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Andrea Hobgood, former secretary for Ironworkers Local 58 (located in New Orleans, La.), was sentenced to five years of probation and was ordered to pay $3,600 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. Hobgood previously paid $14,039 in restitution. On March 12, 2014, Hobgood pled guilty to one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On March 20, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, Alfonso Rodriguez, former Financial Secretary of United Transportation Union (UTU) Local 117 (located in Southworth, Wash.), pled guilty to one count of false reporting, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b), and accepted responsibility while also agreeing to pay restitution in the amount of $34,601. The sentencing is set for June 5, 2015. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On March 19, 2015, in the State of Ohio, Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, Thomas Wolfer, former Financial Secretary of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 84729 (located in Fayetteville, Ohio), pled guilty to one count of 5th degree felony theft, in violation of Ohio Revised Code 2913.02(A)(2). The plea follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office and the Hamilton County, Ohio Sheriff’s Office.
On March 18, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Elmer Ray Booker, former Financial Secretary of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) Local 1530 (located in Houston, Tex.), was charged in a one-count indictment for embezzling over $42,000 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On March 13, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, South Bend, Curtis Bullick, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 3254 (located in Bunker Hill, Ind.), was charged in a one-count information for taking away with the intent to steal property of another within a special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 661. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On March 11, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Jennifer Gent, former office manager for Sheet Metal Workers (SMW) Local 12, Industry of Western Pennsylvania Joint Apprenticeship Training Fund (JATF), located in Pittsburgh, Pa., was sentenced to three years of probation with the first 10 months served as home detention. Gent was also ordered to pay total restitution of $30,297 at a rate of not less than 10% of gross monthly earnings with the first payment due within 30 days. Gent must also pay for the cost of electronic monitoring during home detention. On April 23, 2014, Gent pled guilty to one count of embezzlement of union training funds, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 664. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office and the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
On March 10, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, Alfonso Rodriguez, former Financial Secretary of United Transportation Union (UTU) Local 117 (located in Southworth, Wash.), was indicted on one count of false reporting, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On March 6, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Juan ‘Alex’ Cedeno, former President of Steelworkers Local 4-318 (located in Edison, N.J.), pled guilty to one count of false reporting, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The investigation disclosed that from April 2009 through October 2011, Cedeno embezzled $93,965 in union and health & welfare funds. Cedeno filed false LM reports in connection with the embezzlement of union funds. The guilty plea follows an investigation by OLMS New York District Office.
On March 5, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, Timothy Sanchez, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 906 (located in Topeka, Kans.), was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment followed by one year of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution of $50,156. On September 12, 2014, Sanchez pled guilty to one count of Interstate Transportation of Money Obtained by Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2314. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On March 4, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Michael Trembulak, former President of Utility Workers Local 475 (located in Rochester, Pa.), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds in the amount of $31,528, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
On March 4, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Shreveport Division, Gregory J. Hill, Jr., former Vice President of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2297 (formerly located in Shreveport, La.), was charged in a nine-count indictment. Hill was charged with one count of aiding and abetting an embezzlement of over $12,000 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and 18 U.S.C. 2; one count of conspiracy to forge securities and embezzle money from a labor organization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371; and seven counts of uttering forged checks, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 513(a). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On March 4, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana Shreveport Division, Danny L. Rawls, former member of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2297 (formerly located in Shreveport, La.), was charged in a nine-count indictment. Rawls was charged with one count of aiding and abetting an embezzlement of over $12,000 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and 18 U.S.C. 2; three counts of uttering forged checks in violation of 18 U.S.C. 513(a); and one count of conspiracy to forge securities and embezzle money from a labor organization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On March 3, 2015, in the Summers County Court of West Virginia, Nathan McCallister, former Secretary-Treasurer of Locomotive Engineers, IBT, Division 101 (located in Talcott, W.Va.), was charged in a one-count indictment with felony embezzlement of an amount more than $1,000, which shall have come into possession, or been placed under his care or management, by virtue of his office, place or employment in violation of West Virginia Code 61-3-20. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
On March 3, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk Division, Jeffrey Jones, former President of National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 6066 (located in Chesapeake, Va.), was sentenced to one year of probation and was ordered to pay restitution of $7,649. On November 20, 2014, Jones pled guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
On March 2, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Northern Illinois, Kimberly Hesla, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) Division 474 (located in Chicago, Ill.), was sentenced to one year of probation and was ordered to pay a fine of $1,000 and a special assessment of $25. On November 4, 2014, Hesla pled guilty to one count of a false statement in a labor union financial report, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On February 27, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Southern Division, Stephanie Hicks, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2207 (located in Birmingham, Ala.), was indicted on eight counts of bank fraud for embezzling approximately $132,000, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1344; eight counts of forged securities, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 513(a); and three counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1028(a)(1). The indictment follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office and Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Inspector General.
On February 26, 2015, in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Hardin County Circuit Court, Thomas Wilson, former Secretary-Treasurer of Association of Civilian Technicians Chapter 83 (located in Fort Knox, Ky.), was charged in a one-count indictment for felony theft by unlawful taking over $10,000. The charge follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office and the Department of Defense, Criminal Investigative Service.
On February 24, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, David Hart, former Financial Secretary/Business Agent of International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 324 (located in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), pled guilty to one count of misprision of a felony (18 U.S.C. 4) for failing to report to appropriate authorities the commission of extortion by another Local 324 official (18 U.S.C. 1951). The plea follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On February 23, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Henry Shuler, former Treasurer of United Transportation Union (UTU) Local 1892 (located in Houston, Tex.), was charged in a criminal information with one count of embezzlement of union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On February 18, 2015, in the Buchanan County, Missouri Judicial Court, Dennis Fuston, former business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 545 (located in St. Joseph, Mo.), was charged with theft of union funds (more than $500 and less than $25,000), in violation of RS:MO 570.030, a Class C Felony. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On February 18, 2015, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Washington County, a criminal complaint was filed charging Rae Dawn Grillo, former Treasurer of the Charleroi Area Education Association (CAEA), an affiliate of the NEA/PSEA, located in Charleroi, Pa.,with one felony count of Theft by Unlawful Taking or Disposition and two felony counts of Theft by Deception, in violation of 18 Pa. Criminal Code 3921(a) and 3922(a)(1) respectively. Grillo embezzled $65,963 in association funds. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On February 13, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, David Hart, former Financial Secretary/Business Agent of International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 324 (located in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), was charged in a one-count information with one count of misprision of a felony (18 U.S.C. 4) for failing to report to appropriate authorities the commission of extortion by another Local 324 official (18 U.S.C. 1951). The charge follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On February 11, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, Western Division, William Magee, former President of Bakery, Tobacco & Grain Local 252 (located in Memphis, Tenn.), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds in the amount of $74,388, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing is scheduled for June 5, 2015. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.
On February 2, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Shiryll Durham, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1687 (located in Mountain Home, Tenn.), pled guilty to one count of mail fraud in the amount of $2,651, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1341. The sentencing is scheduled for May 18, 2015. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville Office.
On January 21, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Evelyn Romero, President of United Industrial and Service Workers of America (UISWA), located in Colton, Calif., was charged in a 39-count indictment for conspiracy (18 U.S.C. 371); theft in connection with health care totaling $158,709 (18 U.S.C. 669); embezzlement of union funds totaling $4,282 (29 U.S.C. 501(c)); violating the prohibition against certain persons holding office (29 U.S.C. 504); and aiding and abetting (18 U.S.C. 2). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office, Employment Benefits and Security Administration, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On January 21, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, John S. Romero, Sr., former President, and John J. Romero, Jr., former Secretary-Treasurer of United Industrial and Service Workers of America (UISWA), located in Colton, Calif., were charged in a 30-count indictment for conspiracy (18 U.S.C. 371); theft in connection with health care totaling $158,709 (18 U.S.C. 669); false statement on Form LM-3 (18 U.S.C. 1001); and aiding and abetting (18 U.S.C. 2). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office, Employment Benefits and Security Administration, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On January 21, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Danae Romero, Trustee of the United Industrial and Service Workers of America (UISWA), located in Colton, Calif., was charged in a 29-count indictment for conspiracy (18 U.S.C. 371); theft in connection with health care totaling $158,709 (18 U.S.C. 669); and aiding and abetting (18 U.S.C. 2). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office, Employment Benefits and Security Administration, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On January 21, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, Athens Division, Cynthia Collins, former Secretary-Treasurer of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 12 (located in Athens, Ga.), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.
On January 16, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Ann Marie Shaffer, former dues clerk for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 58 (located in Detroit, Mich.), was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, two years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $340,267 and a $100 special assessment. On August 7, 2014, Shaffer pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $101,059. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On January 15, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Sharon Ratcliff, former Secretary-Treasurer of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 6150 (located in Dallas, Tex.), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $79,526, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On January 13, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, an information was filed against Salvatore E. Mauro, former President of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 1236 (located in Salisbury, N.C.), charging him with one count of creating a false report, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). On January 14, 2015, Mauro pled guilty to the information. The indictment and guilty plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.
On January 13, 2015, in the Perry County Court of Common Pleas, Brian Stoneburner, former Treasurer for Bricklayers Local 44 (located in Newark, Ohio), was sentenced to 90 days of incarceration, five years of probation, 100 hours of community service, and was ordered to make full restitution of $13,235. On November 4, 2014, Stoneburner pled guilty to one count of grand theft. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On January 12, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Cedric Hughes, former Treasurer of the United Union of Professionals (located in Los Angeles, Calif.), was sentenced to probation for five years and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $15,193, a fine of $2,000, and a special assessment of $100. On September 8, 2014, Hughes pled guilty to one count of embezzlement of labor union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
On January 9, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska, Ray L. Lineweber, former legislative director for the United Transportation Union Nebraska State Legislative Board (located in Omaha, Neb.), pled guilty to one count of embezzling $102,907 in union funds. On November 19, 2013, Lineweber was indicted on one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c); one count of mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1341; and 15 counts of false records, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On January 8, 2015, in the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda, a criminal complaint was filed charging Maria Del Cupolo, former bookkeeper for Plasterers and Cement Masons Local 300 (located in Oakland, Calif.), with five felony counts, including one count of Grand Theft with an excessive loss of over $65,000, and four counts of money laundering, in violation of California Penal Code 487(a) and 186.10(a) respectively. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On January 8, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Robert Mays, former Financial Secretary of Steelworkers Local 561 (located in Lancaster, Ohio), was sentenced to probation for three years, 208 hours of community service, and was ordered to make full restitution in the amount of $24,833. On September 12, 2014, Mays pled guilty to one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On January 7, 2015, in the McCracken County, Kentucky Circuit Court, David Lynch, former President and Treasurer of National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 383 (located in Paducah, Ky.), was sentenced to three years of incarceration (suspended to 30 days in county jail while on work release) and a minimum of two years of probation with probation continuing until restitution of $15,805 is paid in full. On October 14, 2014, Lynch pled guilty to felony theft by unlawful taking of more than $500 but less than $10,000. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On January 7, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Alaska, Jonathan Smith, former Financial Secretary of United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners Local 2247 (located in Juneau, Alaska), was sentenced to four months of home detention, five years of probation, 250 hours of community service, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $41,770. On August 8, 2014, Smith pled guilty to a single count of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On January 5, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, Dale T. Hull, former Secretary-Treasurer for Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) Division 261 (located in Herington, Kans.), was sentenced to time served, two years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $17,189 and a fine of $2,500. On September 29, 2014, Hull pled guilty to a single count of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
Last Updated: 1-16-18