Read more at LaborPains.orgGovernment Employees
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.
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| March 17th, 2011 | On March 17, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, an information was filed against Richard Barnes, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 517 (located in Atlanta, Ga.), charging him with theft by deception totaling $14,024 under the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, Section 16-8-3(a), as assimilated under Title 18, United States Code, Section 13. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office. |
| November 8th, 2010 | On November 8, 2010, in the United States District Court of Massachusetts, Stanley Barringer, former Vice President and acting Treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 3707 (located in Chicopee, MA), was charged in an information with falsifying and concealing a material fact on reports filed with the U.S. Department of Labor in order to conceal his misappropriation of approximately $22,180.00 of Local 3707 funds. The information follows an investigation by the OLMS New Haven Resident Office. |
| August 4th, 2010 | On August 4, 2010, in the United States District Court of Northern California, Duane DeJoie, former President of AFGE Local 1223 (located in Oakland, Calif.), was charged with theft and embezzlement within special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States in the amount of $5,369. The charge follows an investigation conducted by the OLMS San Francisco District Office. |
| July 16th, 2010 | On July 16, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, Daniel Gibson, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 3266 (located in Sallisaw, Okla.), was sentenced to twelve months and one day in prison followed by 24 months of supervised release probation and was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $33,986.39 and pay a $100 special assessment. On March 12, 2010, an information charged Gibson with making false statements. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office. |
| July 13th, 2010 | On July 13, 2010, in the Hennepin County District Court of Minnesota, Lucy Irene Hastings, former Recording Secretary of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1969 (located in Minneapolis, Minn.), pled guilty and received a stay of imposition of sentence, three years probation, and was ordered to pay restitution. On April 30, 2010, Hastings was charged with theft of union funds in the amount of $3,328.29. The plea and sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office. |
| July 12th, 2010 | On July 12, 2010, in United States District Court for the District of Western Washington, Sid Mannetti, former President of AFGE Local 1170 (located in Seattle, Wash.), was sentenced to twenty-four months of probation with six months of home confinement and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $50,463. On January 25, 2010, Mannetti was charge with embezzling union funds in the same amount. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office. |
| May 18th, 2010 | On May 18, 2010, in General District Court for Arlington County, Virginia, Richard James, former President of AFGE Local 1402, was charged with embezzling union funds in the amount of $1,550. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office. |
| April 30th, 2010 | On April 30, 2010, in the District Court of Hennepin County, Minnesota, Lucy Irene Hastings, former Recording Secretary of AFGE Local 1969 (located in Minneapolis, Minn.), was charged with theft by swindle of over $1,000. Hastings is alleged to have taken union funds in the amount of $3,328.29. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office. |
| February 17th, 2010 | On February 17, 2010, in Olmsted County (Minnesota) District Court, a felony complaint was filed charging Jeffrey Ver Meer, former Treasurer of AFGE Local 169 (located in Rochester, Minn.), with one count of theft-value over $5,000. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Office. |
| October 29th, 2009 | On October 29, 2009, in the County Court of Hale County, Texas, Rudy Villa Jr., former Treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2771 (located in Plainview, Texas), was indicted on felony theft charges. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office. |
| October 29th, 2009 | On October 29, 2009, in the County Court of Hale County, Texas, Rudy Villa Jr., former Treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2771 (located in Plainview, Texas), was indicted on felony theft charges. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office. |
| June 9th, 2009 | On June 9, 2009, in the Brockton, Massachusetts District Court, a criminal complaint was filed charging Joseph Morena, former President of AFGE Locals 25 and 86 (located in Brockton, Mass. and West Roxbury, Mass.), with one count of larceny over $250 for embezzling $7,696 from the two locals.The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston District Office. |
| June 9th, 2009 | On June 9, 2009, in the Brockton, Massachusetts District Court, a criminal complaint was filed charging Joseph Morena, former President of AFGE Locals 25 and 86 (located in Brockton, Mass. and West Roxbury, Mass.), with one count of larceny over $250 for embezzling $7,696 from the two locals.The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston District Office. |
| April 10th, 2009 | On April 10, 2009, in the Montgomery County (Ohio) Court of Common Pleas, Monica Smalls, former Treasurer of AFGE Local 2209 (located in Dayton, Ohio), was charged with theft of $500 or more. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office. |
| April 10th, 2009 | On April 10, 2009, in the Montgomery County (Ohio) Court of Common Pleas, Monica Smalls, former Treasurer of AFGE Local 2209 (located in Dayton, Ohio), was charged with theft of $500 or more. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office. |
| March 17th, 2009 | On March 17, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Don C. Padgett, former secretary treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1304 (located in Greenville, Ill.), was indicted for one count of mail fraud relating to an embezzlement of $186,997. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office. |
| March 17th, 2009 | On March 17, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Don C. Padgett, former secretary treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1304 (located in Greenville, Ill.), was indicted for one count of mail fraud relating to an embezzlement of $186,997. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office. |
| December 3rd, 2008 | On December 3, 2008, in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, Fidel R. Garza, former President of AFGE Local 2063 (located in Albuquerque N.M.), was indicted on fifty-eight counts each of wire fraud and deprivation of honest services associated with defrauding the local of approximately $84,000 in union funds. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office. |
| November 20th, 2008 | On November 20, 2008 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, William Sargent, former Treasurer of AFGE Local 704 (Chicago, Ill.) pled guilty to one count of theft of property in a special territorial jurisdiction of the United States in the amount of $800. On November 10, 2008, a superseding information had charged Sargent with theft in the same amount. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office. |
| October 30th, 2008 | On October 30, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Edna Latimore, former Secretary Treasurer of AFGE Local 900 (located in St. Louis, Mo.) was sentenced to six months home detention, three years probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $77,857.26. On August 7, 2008, Latimore was charged with making false statements on the locals Form LM-3. Latimore omitted unauthorized payments to herself from the report. The sentencing follows an investigation by the St. Louis District Office. |
| October 27th, 2008 | On October 27, 2008, in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, Janet Louise Johnson, former Treasurer of AFGE Local 2152 (located in Reno, Nev.), pled guilty to one count of theft of union funds at a place within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.On June 4 2008, Johnson was indicted on one count of wire fraud in the amount of $11,251.44 and seven counts of theft of union funds at a place within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. Johnson is alleged to have used union funds to pay for unauthorized personal charges made on the unions credit card. The plea follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Las Vegas Resident Investigator Office and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. |
| August 7th, 2008 | On August 7, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Edna Latimore, former Treasurer of AFGE Local 900 (located in St. Louis, Mo.), was charged with one count of making false statements on the locals Form LM-3. Latimore is alleged to have omitted approximately $77,000 in unauthorized payments to herself from the report. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office. |
| April 24th, 2008 | On April 24, 2008, in the Cambria County Court, Pennsylvania, Richard J. Vincent, former Treasurer of AFGE Local 3951 (located in Altoona, Pa.), was charged in a criminal complaint with two counts of embezzling union funds in the amount of $43,694.85. The charges follow a joint investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office, and the Department of Labors Office of Inspector General. |
| April 4th, 2008 | On April 4, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, Karimah Bailey, former Treasurer of AFGE Local 3197, (located in Seattle, Was.), pled guilty to embezzling union funds in the amount of $85,412, and making a false statement and representation of a material fact, knowing it to be false, on the locals annual financial report. On March 19, 2008, Bailey was charged with making a false statement and representation of a material fact, knowing it to be false, on the locals annual financial report. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office. |
| March 19th, 2008 | On March 19, 2008 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, Karimah Bailey, former Treasurer of AFGE Local 3197, was charged with making a false statement and representation of a material fact, knowing it to be false, on the locals annual financial report. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office. |
| March 4th, 2008 | On March 4, 2008 in the District Court of Val Verde County, Texas, Raul Castorena, former President of AFGE Local 1749, was indicted on one count of theft and one count of misapplication of fiduciary property in an amount greater than $1,500 but less than $20,000. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office. |
| January 7th, 2008 | On January 7, 2008, in the City Court of Peekskill, New York, Glenroy Richards, former President of AFGE Local 2440, was charged with grand larceny in the third degree. During the period of July 2006 to November 2006, Richards is alleged to have utilized his union-issued debit card to withdraw a total of $11,243 from the unions checking account. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office. |
| November 15th, 2007 | On November 15, 2007 in the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon for Umatilla County, Robert Steele, former President of AFGE Local 1417, was charged with theft in the first degree and misapplication of entrusted property. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office. |
| November 8th, 2007 | On November 8, 2007 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Michelle Meek, former Treasurer of AFGE Local 3435, was charged with one count of theft within a special territorial jurisdiction of the United States totaling $7,278.28 and two counts of making false entries on financial reports. The charges follow a joint investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office, the Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General. |
| July 30th, 2007 | On July 30, 2007, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, Brenda Sue Myers, also known as Brenda Sue Barnett, former President of AFGE Local 2282, pled guilty to one count of making a false statement. Subsequently, Myers was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $21,500 and sentenced to three years supervised release. On July 2, 2007, Myers was charged with falsely reporting that Local 2282 disbursed loans in the amount of $21,500, when she knew that statement was materially false and that she had taken the money for her own personal use. The plea and sentence follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office. |
| June 5th, 2007 | On June 5, 2007, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Brad Harper, former Treasurer of AFGE Local 1629, was indicted on three counts of making false reports. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.[Related documents: HTML | PDF] |
| April 17th, 2007 | On April 17, 2007, in the Iowa District Court of Woodbury County, Marcia Dewey, former Secretary- Treasurer of AFGE Local 769, pled guilty to 2nd Degree Theft and was subsequently sentenced to a five year suspended sentence and placed on two years probation. On January 11, 2007, Dewey was charged with stealing union funds in the amount of $1,525. The conviction follows an investigation by the OLMS Kansas City Resident Investigator Office. |
| March 6th, 2007 | On March 6, 2007, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Allegheny County Court, Christine Smith, former President of AFGE Local 2028, pled guilty to one count of theft by deception and one count of forgery. Smith was sentenced to seven years probation for each count to run consecutively and required to make restitution in the amount of $64,299. Smith was also barred from holding union office for 13 years. Prior to sentencing, Smith made an initial restitution payment of $3,000. Additionally, the court ordered Smith to sell or re-finance any properties she owned to pay the restitution, and set July 31, 2007 as the expected date for Smith to make "a significant and substantial payment" toward restitution or she will be incarcerated. On April 17, 2006, Smith was charged with 53 counts of embezzling union funds in the same amount. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office. |
| January 19th, 2007 | On January 19, 2007, in the Iowa District Court of Woodbury County, arrest warrants were issued for Marcia Dewey, former Secretary-Treasurer for AFGE Local 769, charging her with one count of theft and two counts of forgery for drawing $1,525 in unauthorized checks from the union's account. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Kansas City Resident Office. |
| September 26th, 2006 | On 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, 2006 | On 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. |
| July 27th, 2006 | On July 27, 2006, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Mary Love and Danna France, former President and Financial Secretary, respectively, of AFGE Local 96, were each indicted on three counts of theft on federal property, one count of making a false report, and one count of creating false records. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office. |
| July 13th, 2006 | On July 13, 2006, in the Arizona Superior Court in Yuma County, Janalyn Buseck, former Secretary-Treasurer for AFGE Local 2595, was charged with one count of theft greater than $3,000 but less than $25,000 by converting services or property of another entrusted to her and one count of theft greater than $3,000 but less than $25,000 by obtaining property of another through misrepresentation with the intent to deprive. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office. |
| April 17th, 2006 | On April 17, 2006, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Allegheny County Court, Christine Smith, former President of AFGE Local 2028, was charged with 53 counts of embezzling $64,299 in union funds. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office. |
| April 17th, 2006 | On April 17, 2006, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Allegheny County Court, Lynda Holley, former Secretary-Treasurer of AFGE Local 2028, was charged with eight counts of embezzling $4,404 in union funds. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office. |
| January 13th, 2006 | On January 13, 2006, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, McKean County Court, Richard D. Yovichin, II, former President of AFGE Local 3974, was charged in a criminal complaint with three counts of embezzling union funds totaling $3,725.49. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office. |
| August 17th, 2005 | On August 17, 2005, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Cynthia Wright, former president of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1298 in Fort Worth, Texas, was indicted on charges of making a false statement. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office and the Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General. [Related documents: HTML | PDF] |
| March 15th, 2005 | On March 15, 2005, in United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Laura Booth, former secretary-treasurer of Local 3129, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), pled guilty to a one-count information charging her with swindling $18,749.41 in union funds in violation of Federal and state laws. Booth pled guilty in Federal Court for committing a state crime in a federal building. The charge and guilty plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office. |
| January 5th, 2005 | On January 5, 2005, in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas (Ohio), an indictment was filed against Diane Hollins, former president of Local 3283, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), charging her with theft of more than $5,000, but less than $100,000, in union funds. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office. [Related documents: HTML | PDF] |
| October 27th, 2004 | On 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. |
| October 27th, 2004 | On October 27, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, an indictment was filed against Doris J. Blue, current president of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2207, charging her with forgery and obstruction of justice. The indictment alleges that Blue forged the presiding judge's signature on a document purporting to be a valid court order. The charges follow a joint investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office and the FBI. |
| August 19th, 2004 | On 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 16th, 2004 | On June 16, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Denita Cromartie and Paul Reid, former secretary-treasurer and former president, respectively, of AFGE Local 1080, were indicted on three counts of filing false annual financial reports and two counts of mail fraud. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office. |
| December 20th, 2002 | On December 20, 2002, in Martin County (Indiana) Circuit Court, Joetta A. Axe, secretary-treasurer of AFGE Local 1415, pled guilty to one count of theft of union funds. Axe was sentenced to serve 365 days in county security with 363 days suspended, pay fines and court costs of $137, probation fees of $160, and restitution of $10,232.62. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office. |
| December 16th, 2002 | On December 16, 2002, in Martin County (Indiana) Circuit Court, Joetta A. Axe, secretary-treasurer of AFGE Local 1415, was charged in a one-count information with the theft of $10,232.62 in union funds following an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office. |
| October 18th, 2002 | On October 18, 2002, in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, Verlia Jones, former secretary-treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), New York/New Jersey Veterans Administration Council, and former president of AFGE Local 1012, was arrested and arraigned for the embezzlement of $44,988.84 from both labor organizations. A review of the VA Council's financial books and records, including credit union statements, copies of canceled checks, and receipt records revealed that Jones used union funds for her own use by negotiating union checks to herself and authorizing union checks to third parties on her behalf. In addition she negotiated for her personal use per-capita tax checks intended for the VA Council. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office. |
| June 15th, 2001 | On June 15, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Gary Monsson, former secretary-treasurer of AFGE Local 3000, pled guilty to an information charging him with embezzling $51,464.49 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office. |