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Criminal Charges

Office of Labor-Management Enforcement

The Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) conducts both civil and criminal investigations of alleged violations of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) and related laws.

These investigations by OLMS District Offices involve issues such as embezzlements of union funds, union officer elections, the filing of required reports by unions and others with OLMS, and the imposition of trusteeships over subordinate unions by a parent body. These investigations may result in legal enforcement actions.

DateDescription
February 16th, 2011On February 16, 2011, in the Worcester County Massachusetts District Court, Stephen Andros, President of Steelworkers Local 2936 (located in Auburn, Mass.), was charged in a five-count criminal complaint with larceny over $250, in violation of Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 266, Section 30, totaling $18,751.84. The complaint follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston District Office.
November 16th, 2010On November 16, 2010, Lonnie Stevans, former Secretary-Treasurer of the Hofstra University Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), was arraigned in the Eastern District of New York following an information charging Stevans with filing a false report with the Department of Labor in violation of 29 USC 439(b). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office.
October 26th, 2010On October 26, 2010, in the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, Robert Rybak, former Business Manager for Plumbers Local 55 (located in Cleveland, OH), pled guilty to multiple charges including embezzlement in the amount of $12,321.03, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and Hobbs Act violations. Rybak was previously indicted on multiple counts on September 14, 2010. The guilty plea follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office, DOL OIG, and FBI.
September 23rd, 2010On September 23, 2010, in Newton Massachusetts District Court,a criminal complaint was issued against Richard Dean, former Treasurer of Carpenters Local 275 in Newton, MA, charging him with 11 counts of larceny totaling $15,374. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston District Office.
September 23rd, 2010On September 23, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Donald Kister, former President of National Postal Mail Handlers Local 307 (located in Detroit, MI), was charged in a two-count indictment with one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $4,137.35 between August 2006 and October 2007 and one count of making false statements. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.
September 21st, 2010On September 21, 2010, in the United States District Court of New Jersey, Stephen P. Arena and David Caivano, President and Recording Secretary/Secretary-Treasurer, respectively, of Novelty and Production Workers Local 148 (located in Newark, N.J.), were indicted on 29 counts of conspiracy and embezzlement of approximately $375,000 in union funds. The charge follows an investigation by OLMS New York District Office and the Labor OIG.
September 15th, 2010On September 15, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Ellsworth Williamson, former President of Steelworkers Local 5-1967 (located in Hamilton, Ohio), was charged with embezzling union funds in the amount of $5,159.16. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
September 14th, 2010On September 14, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, Joseph Chester, former President of the National Association of Air Traffic Controllers (NATC) Local ABQ (located in Albuquerque, N.M.), was indicted on 47 counts of wire fraud. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office.
March 29th, 2010On March 29, 2010 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Lawrence White, former President of United Electrical Radio & Machine Workers Local 1110 (located in Chicago, Ill.), pled guilty to one count of willfully concealing and causing false entries in union records. On September 1, 2009 White was charged with the same offense. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
December 7th, 2009On December 7, 2009, in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, Roger Wuest, former Secretary-Treasurer of Security Police and Fire Professionals (SPFPA) (located in San Bernardino, Calif.), was sentenced to one year of probation. On September 24, 2009, Wuest pled guilty to a charge of concealment or destruction of union records. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Phoenix Resident Investigator Office.
December 7th, 2009On December 7, 2009, in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, Roger Wuest, former Secretary-Treasurer of Security Police and Fire Professionals (SPFPA) (located in San Bernardino, Calif.), was sentenced to one year of probation. On September 24, 2009, Wuest pled guilty to a charge of concealment or destruction of union records. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Phoenix Resident Investigator Office.
October 6th, 2009On October 6, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Teresa Cora Luna, former office manager/bookkeeper of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 504 (located in Anaheim, Calif.), was sentenced to five months in federal prison and five months in a community corrections facility, to be followed by a three year period of supervised release and a 13-year bar from future union officer or employment service following her release. Additionally, Luna was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $67,416.21 and a $100 assessment. On September 26, 2008, Luna was charged with embezzling union funds in the same amount from November 2004 through June 2005. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
October 6th, 2009On October 6, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Teresa Cora Luna, former office manager/bookkeeper of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 504 (located in Anaheim, Calif.), was sentenced to five months in federal prison and five months in a community corrections facility, to be followed by a three year period of supervised release and a 13-year bar from future union officer or employment service following her release. Additionally, Luna was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $67,416.21 and a $100 assessment. On September 26, 2008, Luna was charged with embezzling union funds in the same amount from November 2004 through June 2005. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
September 24th, 2009On September 24, 2009, in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, Roger Wuest, formerSecretary-Treasurer of Security Police and Fire Professionals Union Officer, Ind. (located in Phoenix, Ariz.), pled guilty to one count of willful concealment and destruction of required union records. On September 9, 2009, Wuest was charged with the same offenses. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Phoenix Resident Investigator Office.
September 24th, 2009On September 24, 2009, in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, Roger Wuest, formerSecretary-Treasurer of Security Police and Fire Professionals Union Officer, Ind. (located in Phoenix, Ariz.), pled guilty to one count of willful concealment and destruction of required union records. On September 9, 2009, Wuest was charged with the same offenses. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Phoenix Resident Investigator Office.
September 4th, 2009On September 4, 2009, in the Huron County (Mich.) District Court, a felony complaint was filed charging Christine Pawlowski, former Financial Secretary of Auto Workers Local 812 (located in Harbor Beach, Mich.), with one count of embezzlement of $1,000 or more but less than $20,000. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.
September 4th, 2009On September 4, 2009, in the Huron County (Mich.) District Court, a felony complaint was filed charging Christine Pawlowski, former Financial Secretary of Auto Workers Local 812 (located in Harbor Beach, Mich.), with one count of embezzlement of $1,000 or more but less than $20,000. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.
May 27th, 2009On May 27, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Wendy Bentzen, former information/financial manager for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 72 (located in Jefferson City, Mo.), was sentenced to six months home detention and five years of supervision for the charge of bank fraud. Bentzen was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $32,256.60 and a $100 special assessment. On September 29, 2008, Bentzen pled guilty to one count of bank fraud.The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
May 27th, 2009On May 27, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Wendy Bentzen, former information/financial manager for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 72 (located in Jefferson City, Mo.), was sentenced to six months home detention and five years of supervision for the charge of bank fraud. Bentzen was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $32,256.60 and a $100 special assessment. On September 29, 2008, Bentzen pled guilty to one count of bank fraud.The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
January 5th, 2009On January 5, 2009, in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, Joseph Michael Johnson, former Secretary-Treasurer of Boilermakers Lodge 687 (located in Charleston Heights, S.C.), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $102,519. On September 10, 2008, Johnson was charged with embezzling union funds in the same amount. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office.
January 5th, 2009On January 5, 2009, in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, Joseph Michael Johnson, former Secretary-Treasurer of Boilermakers Lodge 687 (located in Charleston Heights, S.C.), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $102,519. On September 10, 2008, Johnson was charged with embezzling union funds in the same amount. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office.
November 20th, 2008On November 20, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Charles Bohanon, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLET) Division 1 (located in Petersburg, Mich.), pled guilty to embezzling union funds in the amount of $18,074.23.On September 16, 2008, Bohanon had been charged with embezzling union funds in the same amount. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.
September 30th, 2008On September 30, 2008 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Kenneth Saltz, Jr., former President of Steelworkers Local 1124 (located in Massillon, Ohio), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $15,809.On August 19, 2008, Saltz was charged with embezzling union funds in the same amount and making false entries in union records. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.
September 30th, 2008On September 30, 2008, in the District Court of Dakota County, Minnesota, Jonathan David Thompson, former Secretary-Treasurer of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLE) Division 333 (located in Rosemount, Minn.), was charged with two felony counts of financial transaction card fraud and two felony counts of theft by swindle.Thompson is alleged to have taken union funds in the amount of $8,767.94. The charge follows an investigation by the Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
September 29th, 2008On September 29, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Wendy Elaine Bentzen, former information/financial manager for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) State Council 72 (located in Jefferson City, Mo.) pled guilty to one count of bank fraud. The charge follows an investigation by the St. Louis District Office.
September 26th, 2008On September 26, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, an information was filed charging Teresa Cora Luna, former bookkeeper/office manager of IATSE Local 504 (located in Los Angeles, Calif.) with embezzling approximately $67,416 in union funds from November 2004 through June 2005. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angele District Office.
September 23rd, 2008On September 23, 2008, in the Circuit Court of Rock County, Wisconsin, Jeffrey Granberg, former President of Bricklayer and Allied Craftworkers Local 7 (located in Janesville, Wis.), was charged with one count of felony forgery and one count of theft of less than $2,500. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
September 18th, 2008On September 18, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Jeanette McFarland, former President of Glass Molders and Plastics Union Local 285 (located in Fort Wayne, Ind.) pled guilty to embezzling union funds in the amount of $7,604.On March 26, 2008, McFarland was charged with embezzling union funds in the same amount.The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
September 16th, 2008On September 16, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, an information was filed charging Charles Bohanon, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE) Division 1 (located in Petersburg, Mich.), with one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $18,074.23. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.
September 16th, 2008On September 16, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, an information was filed charging Charles Bohanon, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Division 1 (located in Petersburg, Mich.), with one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $18,074.23.The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.
September 15th, 2008On September 15, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Keith H. Cook, former Secretary Treasurer of United Transportation Union (UTU) Local 620 (located in Chicago, Ill.), was convicted of embezzling union funds in the amount of $48,287 and willfully making false entries on union checks.On March 8, 2007, Cook was charged with one count embezzling union funds in the same amount and one count of willfully making a false entry in union records. The conviction follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office and the Department of Labors Office of the Inspector General.
September 15th, 2008On September 15, 2008, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Louis Desisto, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 1604 (located in Boston, Mass.), was charged with falsification of a record in a federal investigation. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston District Office.
September 12th, 2008On September 12, 2008, in the Trial Court of Berrien County, Michigan, Michael LaPorte, former Secretary-Treasurer of Steelworkers Local 430 (located in Niles, Mich.), was charged with embezzlement of $1,000 or more but less than $20,000. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office
December 3rd, 2007On December 3, 2007, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Darren Johnson, former President of National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 78, pled guilty to one count of bank robbery and incidental crimes. On November 16, 2007, Johnson was charged with stealing union funds in the amount of $4,756.75 that were within the care, custody, control, management, or possession of Comerica Bank. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.
September 26th, 2007On September 26, 2007, in the District Court for Douglas County, Wisconsin, John F. Sigafus, former Secretary Treasurer of Machinists Local Lodge 335-W, was charged with Business Theft over $5,000 and Forgery. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
September 11th, 2007On September 11, 2007, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Joseph Capece, former Business Manger/Financial-Secretary of IBEW Local 163 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $256,000. On September 4, 2007, Capece was charged with knowingly and willfully embezzling union funds in the same amount. The information and plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia District Office.
September 6th, 2007On September 6, 2007 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Richard Lopez, Mark Jones, Cassandra Mosely, and David Rodriquez, current president, former business agents, and former organizer, respectively, of Teamsters Local 743, were indicted on one count of conspiracy to deprive Local 743 members of their honest services and to embezzle, or steal, the official ballots in the 2004 election of officers. Lopez and Jones were each charged with one count each of embezzlement or theft of union property, that being the official ballots, while Moseley and Rodriquez were each charged with two counts of embezzlement or theft of union property, also being the official ballots. The indictment alleges that between August and December 2004, Lopez, Mosely, Jones and Rodriguez engaged in a scheme to rig the election by diverting official ballot packages to their friends, family and associates, and casting the ballots or causing them to be cast in both the October and December 2004 elections for incumbent officers, known as the "Unity Slate," to ensure their election. The seven-count indictment follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General.
March 15th, 2007On March 15, 2007, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Deborah Walters, former President of AFSCME Local 11, Chapter 8330, pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $10,012. On October 4, 2006, Walters was charged with one count of embezzling union funds in the same amount and five counts of falsification of union records. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.
February 22nd, 2007On February 22, 2007, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Catherine Bronson, former Business Representative for Hotel and Restaurant Employees Local 21 in Rochester, MN, was sentenced to 180 days home confinement followed by three years of supervised release. Bronson was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $28,850. On September 7, 2006, Bronson was charged with one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of approximately $35,675. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
January 8th, 2007On January 8, 2007, in United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Kathryn Stark, former office manager for IBEW Local 31, was sentenced to six-month confinement followed by 150 days of home detention, and three-years supervised release. Stark was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $50,376.89 plus an additional $26,783.64 in investigative costs incurred by the local. On September 7, 2006, Stark was charged with embezzling union funds in the same amount. The sentence follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
December 18th, 2006On December 18, 2006, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Jackie Uptegrove, former Secretary-Treasurer for Boilermakers Lodge M-146, was charged with one count of making false entries in union records in the amount of $16,628. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Kansas City Resident Investigator Office.
November 9th, 2006On November 9, 2006, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Kathryn Stark, former office manager for IBEW Local 31, pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $50,377. On September 7, 2006, Stark was charged with one count of embezzling union funds in the same amount. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
November 7th, 2006On November 7, 2006, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Timothy J. Pulvermacher, former Financial Secretary for USWA Local 9444, pled guilty to embezzling union funds in the amount of approximately $29,062. On September 7, 2006, Pulvermacher was charged with one count of embezzling union funds in the same amount. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
October 23rd, 2006On October 23, 2006, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Sally Hollis, former bookkeeper for Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU), Local 112, pled guilty to one count of embezzling over $20,000 in union funds. On September 20, 2006, Hollis was indicted on the same charge. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia District Office.
October 4th, 2006On October 4, 2006, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Deborah Walters, former President of AFSCME Local 11, Chapter #8330, was charged with one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $10,012 and five counts of falsification of union records. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.
September 26th, 2006On September 26, 2006, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Lawrence Marable and Deborah Powell, former President and Treasurer, respectively, of AFGE 1793 were each charged with five counts of theft of property in the special territorial jurisdiction of the United States, one count of making false statements in labor organization annual reports, and one count of conspiracy to steal property in the special territorial jurisdiction of the United States in the amount of $187,000. The charges follow a joint investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia District Office and the Department of Veterans Affairs' Office of Inspector General.
September 21st, 2006On September 21, 2006, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, Marc Green, former President of AFGE Local 2562, was charged with three counts of larceny within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States in the amount of $54,000 and three counts of filing false reports. The charges follow a joint investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office and the Department of Veterans Affairs' Office of the Inspector General.
September 8th, 2006On September 8, 2006, in the Hamilton County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas, Rachetta Johnson, co-owner of Electrical Innovations, pled guilty to theft by deception for her role in defrauding the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 212, through a market recovery fund. On March 30, 2006, Johnson was charged with theft of property or services worth $5,000, tampering with market recovery forms, and forging market recovery fund forms. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
September 7th, 2006On September 7, 2006, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Cathy Bronson, former Business Representative for Hotel and Restaurant Employees Local 21, was charged with one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of approximately $35,675. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
September 7th, 2006On September 7, 2006, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Kathryn Stark, former Office Manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 31, was charged with embezzling union funds in the amount of approximately $50,376.89. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
September 7th, 2006On September 7, 2006, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Timothy Pulvermacher, former Financial Secretary for the United Steelworkers of America, Local 9444, was charged with one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of approximately $29,062.10. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
August 10th, 2006On August 10, 2006 Lois Carter, former treasurer of CWA-IUE Local 84101, signed an agreement to plead guilty to willfully failing to maintain records providing the necessary basic information and data to verify, explain, clarify, and check the accuracy and completeness of the local's Form LM-3 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2003. On the same date, an information was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin charging Carter. The charge and guilty plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
January 13th, 2006On January 13, 2006, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Westmoreland County Court, Brenda Berkhamer, former employee of United Mine Workers Local 1257, pled guilty to one count of theft by deception and one count of forgery. She was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to make full restitution to the union. Berkhamer was also ordered to attend weekly meetings of Gamblers Anonymous. On September 7, 2005, Berkhamer was charged with, in addition to other charges, 46 counts of embezzling union funds in the amount of $9,656.50. The guilty plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office.
December 14th, 2005On December 14, 2005, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, Michelle Turney Thurlough, former secretary/bookkeeper for Plumbers Local 614 in Memphis, was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $23,172.59. This amount represents the $7,823.80 charged in the indictment as embezzled funds plus an additional $15,348.79 in auditing bills incurred by the union as a result of Thurlough's actions. Thurlough previously entered a guilty plea on September 1, 2005. The conviction follows an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
September 29th, 2005On September 29, 2005, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Marilyn Constable, former trustee of ABC Local 12 Employer and Employee Life Benefit Fund, a benefit fund of the Bakery & Tobacco Workers AFL-CIO, Local 12-A, Pittsburgh, PA, was charged in a 15 count indictment with embezzling $7,591.01 in benefit funds. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office and EBSA Philadelphia Regional Office.
September 21st, 2005On September 21, 2005, in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Jefferson Circuit Court, Joseph J. Brady, former Financial Secretary of Steelworkers Local 1693, was charged with one count of theft by unlawful taking. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
September 12th, 2005On September 12, 2005, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Beaver County Court, Beth Ann Shanor, former employee of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Sub-Lodge 3094, was charged in a two-count criminal complaint with embezzling $5,586.70 in union funds. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 14, 2005. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office.
September 12th, 2005On September 12, 2005, in the United States District Court for the District of Alaska, James Jackson, former Treasurer of Longshoremen and Warehousemen (ILWU) Local 200, Unit 62, was charged with one count of embezzling $12,934.50 in union funds. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office. [Related documents: HTML | PDF]
September 7th, 2005On September 7, 2005, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Westmoreland County Court, Brenda Berkhamer, former employee of United Mine Workers Local 1257, was charged in a 47-count criminal complaint with embezzling $9,656.50 in union funds. She was arrested the same day and released on $10,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 18, 2005. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office.
February 14th, 2005On February 14, 2005, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Vincent Callaghan, business agent of Local 798, IATSE, was arrested and charged with mail fraud. The charge alleges that Callaghan attempted to convert the Local's headquarters into a condominium and sell two-thirds of the property to his brother and his brother's girlfriend at a "sweetheart" price. The charge further alleges the following: Callaghan filed false documents with the New York State Attorney General's Office in order to have the property converted to a condominium without obtaining outside bids; as a result, the Attorney General's Office approved the condominium conversion by mail without knowledge that the information was false; Callaghan never advised the Local's Executive Board, Board of Directors, and membership of the attempted condominium conversion and subsequent sale to his brother as required in the Local's constitution and bylaws. Callaghan, released on his own recognizance, has been removed from office by the IATSE International Union. The arrest and charge follow an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office.
October 27th, 2004On October 27, 2004, in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, Josefina Suarez Gonzalez, former president of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1662, was indicted on 67 counts of embezzlement. The indictment alleges that Suarez Gonzalez embezzled $27,404.25 in union funds by writing unauthorized checks to cash and to herself in the amount of $23,504, and to her daughters in the amount of $3,900. The indictment supercedes an information filed September 17, 2004, charging Suarez Gonzalez with one count of embezzlement and one count of making false entries in union records. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
September 29th, 2004On September 29, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Becky Harris, former secretary-treasurer of Glass Molders Plastics Local 37, was sentenced to two years probation for creating false records. In addition, Harris was ordered to pay a fine of $1,000 and an assessment of $25. On April 27, 2004, she pled guilty to the charge following an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
September 28th, 2004On September 28, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Sonya Green, former financial secretary of Steelworkers Local 3657, was charged in a 35-count indictment with embezzling $39,879.95 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office.
September 15th, 2004On September 15, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, a superceding indictment was filed against four individuals for their criminal involvement in the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) 2 Broadway Project. Junior Campbell, a Business Agent of Laborers Local 79; Edward Garafola, a soldier in the Gambino crime family; Mario Garafola, an associate of the Gambino family; and Richard Calabro, Mario Garafola's brother-in-law, were all charged with multiple crimes. The crimes charged in the indictment included RICO, money laundering, extortion, obstruction of justice, mail fraud, perjury, unlawful labor payments, and embezzlement of employee benefit funds. The indictment estimated a monetary loss for the project in "excess" of $10 million. In addition, the guilty plea of Frederick Contini, the project developer, was unsealed. Elevator Constructors Local One, Operating Engineers Local 14, and Laborers Local 79 are involved in this ongoing joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office and the FBI.
September 7th, 2004On September 7, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Cynthia Walker, former secretary-treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees Local 1027, was sentenced to six months imprisonment, five months to be served in a half-way house followed by five years supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $10, 419 in restitution. Walker was charged on December 16, 2003, following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
September 3rd, 2004On September 3, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Richard Krystofiak, former financial secretary of Steelworkers Local 9-1071-L, was sentenced to 12 months of supervised probation and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $8,644.46 for embezzlement and making false entries. On May 18, 2004, Krystofiak pled guilty to the charges following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
September 1st, 2004On September 1, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Michael G. Kmit, former secretary-treasurer of Auto Workers Local 2562, entered a plea change to guilty to the charge of embezzlement. Kmit was indicted on June 23, 2004, on one count of embezzling $10,953.10 in union funds. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office. [Related documents: HTML |PDF]
August 19th, 2004On August 19, 2004, in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, Verlia Jones, former president of AFGE Local 1012 and former treasurer for AFGE NY/NJ VA Council, was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay $100 special assessment for theft of funds. In addition, Jones was ordered to pay restitution of $59,513.49 to Local 1012 and the AFGE NY/NJ/ VA Council ($44,988.84 to Local 1012 and $14,524.75 to the Council). On September 10, 2003, Jones had pled guilty to the charge following an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office.
June 8th, 2004On June 8, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Brian Brabazon, former president of Chemical Workers Local 294 (United Food and Commercial Workers), was sentenced for making a willful false entry in union records. Brabazon pled guilty to the charge on March 5, 2004. He was initially indicted in September 2003, on one count of embezzling union funds; he later pled guilty to the lesser charge. Brabazon was sentenced to one year of probation, restitution in the amount of $3,672.84, and a $100 fine (which was waived). The guilty plea and sentence follow an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco District Office.
May 10th, 2004On May 10, 2004, in the Ventura County Superior Court, James D. Torrez, former president of Association of Civilian Technicians Chapter 105, pled guilty to one count of embezzling $9,801 in union funds. Torrez had been charged with two counts of embezzlement on July 21, 2003. The charges and guilty plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
March 5th, 2004On March 5, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Brian Brabazon, former president of Local 294 of the United Food and Commercial Workers (Chemical Workers Union Council) pled guilty to making a willful false entry in a union record. Brabazon had been indicted in September 2003 on one count of embezzling $3672.84 in union funds. In a plea agreement, a superseding information was filed and Brabazon pled guilty to the misdemeanor false records charge. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco District Office.
January 30th, 2004On January 30, 2004, in the United States District Court for Nevada, Tim Egan, former business manager and secretary-treasurer of Bricklayers Local 3, was sentenced to four months of home detention with electronic monitoring and 24 months of probation for failure to maintain union records and making false statements and omissions of material facts in union reports. He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $19,363.43 and to undergo treatment for gambling and drug addiction. Egan pled guilty to the charges on September 22, 2003, following an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco District Office. [Related documents: HTML |PDF]
December 12th, 2003On December 12, 2003, in Sarpy County (Nebraska) District Court, Barbara Jo Henry, also known as Barbara Hillis, former treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees Local 840, was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,821 for felony theft. Henry pled guilty to the charge on September 30, 2003. The guilty plea and sentence follow a joint investigation by the OLMS Kansas City Resident Office, the Bellevue Nebraska Police Department and the Department of Defense's Office of the Inspector General. [Related documents: HTML | PDF]
November 13th, 2003On November 13, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, a superseding indictment was filed adding new charges against Byron Boyd, Jr., current president; Charles Little, former president; and John Rookard, current special assistant to the president, of the United Transportation Union (UTU). These individuals had been previously charged on September 12, 2003, with racketeering conspiracy and two counts of mail fraud. The superseding indictment charges all three with one count of racketeering, one count of RICO conspiracy, and one count of mail fraud. Boyd and Rookard were indicted on a second count of mail fraud. Additionally, Little and Boyd were charged with seven counts of embezzling union funds in the amount of $3,658.59; Boyd was charged with three additional counts of embezzling union funds in the amount of $4,185.50 and two counts of witness tampering. The indictment alleges that Boyd, Little and Rookard devised and executed a scheme to defraud the UTU membership by soliciting and receiving over $525,000 in cash from thirty-four attorneys nationwide. The charges follow a joint investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office, the Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General, and the FBI.
October 17th, 2003On October 17, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Nick A. Torpea, former business agent for Food and Commercial Workers Local 655, was sentenced to one year probation and fined $750 for making a false entry in union records. Torpea pled guilty to the charge on July 30, 2003. Torpea's sentencing followed the September 18, 2003, sentencing of his father, Nick J. Torpea, to three years probation for making a false statement to a Department of Labor investigator. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
October 2nd, 2003On October 2, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Ralph Dennis, former Director of Insurance for the United Transportation Union Insurance Association, pled guilty to conspiring with others to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Dennis had been indicted on September 12, 2003, on one count of RICO conspiracy and two counts of mail fraud and aiding and abetting. These charges and the guilty plea resulted from an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office, the Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General, and the FBI.
September 30th, 2003On September 30, 2003, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, an information was filed charging Errol Alderman, a District of Columbia government employee, with one count of conspiracy to launder money as part of a scheme to embezzle funds from the Washington Teachers' Union. The information states that Alderman conspired to launder approximately $483,000 through a shell company called Expressions Unlimited. The charge is part of an ongoing investigation of the Washington Teachers' Union by the OLMS Washington District Office, the FBI, the IRS and the United States Attorney's Office.
September 25th, 2003On September 25, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, James Hubler, the former financial secretary of Steelworkers Local 14375, was sentenced to three months and three days imprisonment for embezzling $27,226 in union funds. The sentence will run concurrently with Hubler's present sentence from an unrelated conviction. Following the prison term, Hubler will be on a two year supervised release. He was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $24,186.79 in monthly installments of at least $5.00. Hubler pled guilty to the charge on January 23, 2003. The sentence and guilty plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia District Office. [Related documents: HTML | PDF]
September 25th, 2003On September 25, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, James M. Duff, principal leader, organizer and manager of the Duff family business enterprise, and the following six individuals were indicted by federal grand jury on 30 counts of fraud, money laundering, and racketeering conspiracy: Patricia Green Duff, William Stratton, Terrence Dolan, Starling Alexander, John Leahy, and Edward Wisniewski. The indictment involves two alleged fraud schemes: one relating to more than $100 million in government and private contracts obtained by sham woman- and minority-owned businesses and the other relating to over $3 million in unpaid workers' compensation insurance premiums. All of the charges involve the activities of the Duff family businesses. The individuals were charged as follows:
September 25th, 2003On September 25, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Russell Guy Taylor, former treasurer of Machinists Lodge 90, pled guilty to an information charging him with embezzling $36,142 in union funds. The information was filed on August 22, 2003. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office. [Related documents: HTML | PDF]
September 23rd, 2003On September 23, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, C. Michael Vencill, former secretary-treasurer of Musicians Local 101-473, was indicted on 59 counts of embezzling $13,034 in union funds, two counts of filing false reports, and one count of making false entries in union records. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office. [Related documents: HTML | PDF]
September 22nd, 2003On September 22, 2003, in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, Tim Egan, former business manager, secretary and treasurer of Bricklayers Local 3, was charged with and pleaded guilty to failure to maintain union records, and making false statements and omissions of material facts in union reports. From January 1988 through March 2000, Egan failed to maintain financial records which reported, among other things, his personal use of cash from union dues and personal use of union credit cards. Egan also failed to disclose these matters on annual reports submitted to the Department of Labor. These charges and guilty pleas resulted from an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco District Office.
September 17th, 2003On September 17, 2003, in Marion County (Indiana) Superior Court, Jo Ellen Tumey, former president of Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America Local 4, was charged in an information with embezzling $2,470.88 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office. [Related documents: HTML | PDF]
September 16th, 2003On September 16, 2003, in the District Court for St. Louis County (Minnesota), Thomas Pender, former business manager and financial secretary of Laborers Local 1097, pled guilty to one count of felony theft. On April 7, 2003, Pender had been charged with one count of theft of $7,000 in union funds and one count of financial transaction card fraud involving $167 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
September 12th, 2003On September 12, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, James Roemer, former treasurer of Operating Engineers Local 14, was sentenced to 41 months imprisonment and three years probation for conspiracy to receive, possess, and dispose of money obtained by fraud and transported across state lines; making and receiving unlawful labor payments; engaging in unlawful monetary transactions; obstruction of justice; conspiracy to defraud the United States; and tax evasion. He was ordered to pay a total of $2.7 million in restitution and to forfeit $800,000 to the United States Government within 90 days of his guilty plea. He had been indicted on April 16, 2002, along with seven other individuals, including the developer of the 2 Broadway Project and Elevator Constructor Local One representatives, for illegal activity relating to defrauding the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority and ZAR Realty of more than $10 million in construction money that was intended for vertical transportation costs on the 2 Broadway project. On April 3, 2003, Roemer pled guilty to the charges following a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office and the FBI.
September 12th, 2003On September 12, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, the following international officers and employees were indicted on one count of RICO conspiracy and two counts of mail fraud and aiding and abetting: Charles Little, former international president of the United Transportation Union (UTU), Byron Boyd, current UTU international president, Ralph Dennis, former director of insurance for the United Transportation Union Insurance Association (UTUIA), and John Rookard, assistant to the UTU international president. The charges were brought following a joint investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office, the Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General and the FBI.
September 5th, 2003On September 5, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Neil Babineaux, former assistant to the assistant vice president of the United Transportation Union, pled guilty to a charge of criminal contempt. He had been indicted on April 3, 2003, on charges of obstruction of justice and making false declarations to a federal grand jury. Following the guilty plea, Babineaux was sentenced to six months home confinement, two years probation and a $3,000 fine. These charges follow a joint investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office, the Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General and the FBI.
July 22nd, 2003On July 22, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, John J. Quinn, a member of Elevator Constructors Local One, pled guilty to witness tampering charges. During an investigation of Local One involving labor racketeering, unlawful labor payments, and mail fraud, Quinn attempted to tamper with testimony and information that Quinn expected investigators to ask a witness to provide. The charges were brought following a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, the Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration, the FBI, and the IRS.
July 21st, 2003On July 21, 2003, in the Ventura County Superior Court, James D. Torrez, former President of Civilian Technicians Chapter 105, was charged with two counts of embezzling union funds totaling $9,801. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
July 14th, 2003On July 14, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Willie Corbett, former Local Lodge Delegate of Maintenance of Way Employees Lodge 616, was sentenced to three years probation and fined $500. He was previously charged with falsifying union records on September 25, 2002, following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office. Corbett pled guilty to the charge on May 6, 2003.
April 23rd, 2003On April 23, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Jeffrey Williams, former treasurer of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 11, Chapter 6555, was sentenced to two months confinement followed by three years supervised release with an intensive drug treatment program. He was ordered to pay restitution of $2,725.66 (he had already made restitution of $586.70). He had pled guilty on January 22, 2003 to one count of embezzlement of $3,312.00 in union funds. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office. [Related documents: HTML | PDF]
March 24th, 2003On March 24, 2003, in Onondaga (New York) City Court, John Miller, the former president of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) Local 727, pled guilty to one count of attempted grand larceny in the fourth degree. He had previously made restitution for depositing two dues remittance checks from CSEA in his personal checking account. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Buffalo District Office.
January 24th, 2003On January 24, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Kevin Murphy, a member of Elevator Constructors Local One, was sentenced to spend three years on probation, perform 400 hours of community service, pay $12,252.98 in restitution, pay a $500 fine, and pay a $100 assessment. In addition, Murphy must forfeit $3,311 representing the total sum of unlawful contributions made on behalf of the defendant to all benefit plans affiliated with Local One of the International Union of Elevator Constructors. On September 11, 2002, Murphy pled guilty to conspiracy to demand and receive unlawful labor payments. On February 5, 2002, Murphy was charged with conspiracy, false ERISA statements, money laundering conspiracy, money laundering, and unlawful labor payments following a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, the Department of Labor's Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, the FBI, and the IRS.
January 24th, 2003On January 24, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, William Tracy, a member of Elevator Constructors Local One, was sentenced to spend three years on probation, perform 400 hours of community service, pay $23,127 in restitution, pay a $500 fine, and pay a $100 assessment. On September 11, 2002, Tracy pled guilty to conspiracy to demand and receive unlawful labor payments. On February 5, 2002, Tracy was charged with RICO conspiracy, false ERISA statements, money laundering conspiracy, money laundering, and unlawful labor payments following a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, the Department of Labor's Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, the FBI, and the IRS.
January 22nd, 2003On January 22, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Jeffrey L. Williams, former treasurer of Chapter 6555, AFSCME Local 11, pled guilty to embezzling $3,312.65 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.
January 9th, 2003On January 9, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Kenneth D. Stacey, former president of Teamsters Local 651, was sentenced to one year of probation with four months of home confinement and ordered to pay a fine of $1,000 and a $100 assessment. Full restitution was made when Stacey pled guilty to embezzling $10,359.93 in union funds on September 26, 2002. The charge was brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
December 11th, 2002On December 11, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, Robert E. Martin, Jr., a former member of Steelworkers Local 9336, pled guilty to one count of harboring a fugitive, Elizabeth J. George, who was previously indicted for embezzlement. As part of the plea agreement, Martin agreed to pay Local 9336 $900.71 in restitution. Martin was released on bond after being incarcerated since September 9, 2002 on the harboring charge. The charges were brought following a joint investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office and the Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General.
November 20th, 2002On November 20, 2002, in United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Joleen Coughlon, former secretary, and Clyde Starkey, former member, were indicted for their roles in a conspiracy to embezzle the funds of Laborers Local 177 in Des Moines, Iowa. The indictment details separate activities whereby the two participated in embezzlement schemes with the previously indicted local president, Fred Risius. Starkey is charged with receiving and cashing $28,905 in union checks to which he had no legitimate claim and returning a portion of the proceeds to Risius. The indictment alleges that Coughlon accepted gifts paid for by the union by issuing fictitious payee checks to Risius from the local strike fund. Coughlon is also charged with the unauthorized receipt of strike fund checks and the falsification of related records. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
October 10th, 2002On October 10, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Kim M. Connor, former financial secretary of United Auto Workers Local 469, pled guilty to an information filed on September 17, 2002 that charged her with one count of embezzling $3,365 in union funds and one count of filing a false LM-2 report. The information also noted that she had embezzled a total of approximately $54,317.19 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
October 3rd, 2002On October 3, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Isador Hampton, former president of Auto Workers (UAW) Local 835, pled guilty to one count of embezzling $10,389.00 in union funds. Hampton admitted he accepted unauthorized salary and expense payments from the union. The charge was brought following an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.
September 26th, 2002On September 26, 2002 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Kenneth D. Stacey, former president of Teamsters Local 651, pled guilty after being charged in a one-count information with embezzling $10,359.93 in union funds. The charge was brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
September 25th, 2002On September 25, 2002, in Linn County, Iowa, an outstanding warrant was executed with the arrest of Karl Roush, former business manager of Local 497 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union (HERE). At the arraignment hearing, he pled not guilty to a charge of felony theft of union funds. These charges are the result of an investigation conducted by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
September 25th, 2002On September 25, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Willie Corbett, former delegate of Maintenance of Way Employees Lodge 616, was indicted for the concealment of a union record. The indictment charges that he concealed details of his travel expenses on a union record. These charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
September 23rd, 2002On September 23, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, Mike Bruce, former secretary-treasurer of the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical & Energy Workers (PACE), Local 5-80, was sentenced to one month of home detention followed by three years of supervised probation and ordered to pay $6,923 in restitution to the union. He previously pled guilty to making false entries in required union records to conceal his embezzlement of $6,923 in union funds after he was charged in a two-count indictment following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
September 23rd, 2002On September 23, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, Nolan Butler, former president of Bakery & Tobacco Workers Local 366G, pled guilty to embezzling $14,619.46 in union funds. He admitted forgery and making unauthorized personal charges and cash advances using the union's credit card. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office.
September 19th, 2002On September 19, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Pedro Ojeda, former secretary-treasurer of Musicians Local 23, pled guilty to one count of embezzling an unspecified amount of union funds. He had been charged in a two-count indictment on July 3, 2002, following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
September 17th, 2002On September 17, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Gregory Carpenter, former president of Sheet Metal Workers Local 93, pled guilty to falsifying union records. An information filed on August 15, 2002, charged Carpenter with the submission of fraudulent lost time claims to his union. These charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
September 17th, 2002On September 17, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Kim M. Connor, former financial secretary of United Auto Workers Local 469, was charged with one count of embezzling $3,365 in union funds and one count of filing a false LM-2 report. The information also noted that she had embezzled a total of approximately $54,317.19 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
September 13th, 2002On September 13, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Martin J. Mone, former financial secretary of Auto Workers Local 1052, pled guilty to embezzling $6,264.97 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.
September 10th, 2002On September 10, 2002, in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, Gregory B. Floto, former president of the National Treasury Employees Union, Chapter 116, was sentenced to six months of home detention, three years of probation, fined $2,000, ordered to pay a $100 special assessment, and ordered to pay $7,714.68 in remaining restitution to the union (or bonding company). On March 15, 2002, Floto pled guilty to making a false statement to a federal agent to conceal his embezzlement of $15,714.21 in union funds after being charged in a seven-count indictment. This case was prosecuted by attorneys from the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, following a joint investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office and U.S. Customs Internal Affairs Tucson office.
September 5th, 2002On September 5, 2002, in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, Robert Mayhew and John Lontine, former union pension fund trustees, pled guilty to charges that they knowingly and willfully caused false reports to be filed on behalf of their respective trust funds. Both failed to disclose gifts received from Capital Consultants, LLC (CCL). CCL substantially paid the expense for Mayhew to take a hunting trip to New Mexico. Mayhew was a trustee for (and CCL provided investment management services to) the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Eighth District Pension Fund. Lontine took a fishing trip to Alaska and accepted season tickets for both the Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies, all paid for by CCL. Lontine was a trustee for (and CCL provided investment management services to) the Sheet Metal Workers Local 9 Pension Plan. The charges were brought following a joint investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office, the Department of Labor's Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration and Office of the Inspector General, the IRS, and the FBI.
September 3rd, 2002On September 3, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Laura L. McClurg, former secretary-treasurer of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1195, was charged in an information with concealment of labor union records. The information charges that she concealed and withheld records and statements required to be kept by a labor union in order to conceal her embezzlement of $2,295 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia District Office.
June 4th, 2002On June 4, 2002, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Alfred S. Garappolo, a partner in the accounting firm Thomas Havey LLP, pled guilty to a two-count information charging him with being an accessory after the fact to embezzlement from an employee welfare benefit plan in violation of 18 U.S.C. 3 and concealing and covering up a material fact in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Department of Labor in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001. He pled guilty to assisting Kerry Tresselt, the bookkeeper for the Iron Workers National Training Fund, in order to hinder or prevent her apprehension, trial and punishment for her embezzlement from the Training Fund. He also pled guilty to knowingly and willfully concealing and failing to disclose to OLMS investigators statements made at a September 1992 meeting by Victor Van Bourg, then general counsel of the Iron Workers International Union, to Jake West, then the international president. These statements were to the effect that the Havey Company should be replaced as the Iron Workers' accountants if Havey accountants did not assist the scheme to underreport and conceal the true nature and amount of the union's disbursements for its officers on the union's annual financial report, Form LM-2, filed with OLMS. The documents filed as part of the plea agreement charge that after the meeting, Havey accountants aided and assisted in the preparation of union reports that concealed the true amount of union disbursements for union officers Jake West, LeRoy Worley, and James Cole. This is part of an ongoing investigation that has resulted in the guilty pleas of six former officials and employees of the Iron Workers to a variety of embezzlement and conspiracy charges. Former President Jake West and former General Secretary LeRoy Worley, have been indicted and are separately awaiting trial. The charges were brought following a joint investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.
June 3rd, 2002On June 3, 2002, in the Maricopa County (Arizona) Criminal Court, Katherine Johnson, former secretary-treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees Local 2552, pled guilty to one count of attempted theft. Per the plea agreement, and subject to the pre-sentencing investigation and the sentencing judge's approval, she will be placed on probation and pay restitution of $26,516. She had been charged in a criminal complaint on January 29, 2002, which was superceded by a local grand jury indictment on February 27, 2002. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
March 15th, 2002On March 15, 2002, in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, Gregory B. Floto, former president of National Treasury Employees Chapter 116, pled guilty to one count of making false statements in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001. He had earlier been charged with misappropriation of union funds following a joint investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office and U.S. Customs Internal Affairs.
November 30th, 2001On November 30, 2001, Judge Robert W. Curran of the Circuit Court for the City of Newport News, Virginia, accepted a plea agreement from Stanley Coppedge, former grievance person for Steelworkers Local 8888. Mr. Coppedge pled guilty to petty larceny, a Class 1 misdemeanor, in violation of Virginia Code 18.2-178 (obtaining money or property by false pretenses). He was sentenced to one year incarceration, suspended as long as he remains in good behavior and makes restitution of $13,761.67. The charges had been brought on July 9, 2001, following an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
October 23rd, 2001On October 23, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Hank Van Heyningen, president of Christian Labor Union Local 17 (Dairy Workers), pled guilty to one count of extortion. The charges had been brought on September 4, 2001, following a joint investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office, the FBI, and the Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General.
September 26th, 2001On September 26, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, Deborah Bankston, former financial secretary-treasurer of Western Pulp and Paperworkers Local 83, was charged in an information with embezzling $64,711 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco District Office.
September 19th, 2001On September 19, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Lillian Agredano, former officer manager of the now-defunct Painters Local 1348, pled guilty to the embezzlement of $9,486 in union funds. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
September 17th, 2001On September 17, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, Ralph Varnardo, former president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 1674, pled guilty to one count of violating 18 USC 641, Embezzlement of Public Money, in the amount of $15,724. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Boston District Office.
September 6th, 2001On September 6, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Keith Sharp, former business agent for Stage and Picture Operators Local 132, pled guilty to a one-count information charging him with embezzling $7,873.91 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.
September 5th, 2001On September 5, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Nadine Corey, former president of the Association of Credit Union Employees, was sentenced to one year home confinement and three years probation. She was also ordered to make restitution to the union of $49,385.95. She had earlier pled guilty to an information which charged her with embezzling union funds following an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.
September 4th, 2001On September 4, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Hank Van Heyningen, president of Christian Labor Union Local 17 (Dairy Workers), was charged in an information with extorting $100 from a worker in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1951(a), (b)(2) (interference with interstate commerce by threats of violence). The charges were brought following a joint investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office, the FBI, and the Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General.
September 4th, 2001On September 4, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Sharon K. Schmenk, former treasurer of the Lima (Ohio) Memorial Professional Nurses Association, was charged in a one-count information with embezzling $19,170 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.
January 17th, 2001On January 17, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Gregory Floto, president of Treasury Employees Chapter 116 in Tucson, Arizona, was indicted on seven counts of mail fraud/deprivation of honest services (three counts), making false statements (three counts), and obstruction of justice (one count). The charges were brought following a joint investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office and the U.S. Customs Service Office of Internal Affairs.