A Monthly Report on Corrupt Union Bosses’ Misuse of Their Members’ Dues
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On July 27, 2012, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Essex County District Court, Lynda Nordyke, former President of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1302 (located in Lynn, Mass.), pled guilty to one count of larceny over $250, in the amount of $1,438, in violation of Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 266, Section 30. Nordyke was then sentenced to 30 days of probation and was required to make restitution of $1,438. The plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Boston District Office.
On July 25, 2012, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Tammy Allen, former Secretary-Treasurer of Retail Wholesale Department Store Union (RWDSU) Local 184 (located in Kansas City, Mo.), was sentenced to five months of confinement, five months in a residential re-entry facility, and three years of supervised probation upon release. Allen was also ordered to pay $45,766.81 in restitution and a $100 assessment. On October 17, 2011, Allen pled guilty to one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Kansas City Resident Investigator Office.
On July 25, 2012, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Angelo Schifino, former Financial Secretary of Steelworkers Local 532 (located in Pittsburgh, Pa.), was sentenced to two years of probation, 50 hours of community service, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. Schifino had previously paid full restitution of $9,917. On March 19, 2012, Schifino pled guilty to one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office.
On July 17, 2012, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, James Charleston, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2107 (located in North Chicago, Ill.), Jacquelyn Pugh-Rodgers, former Vice President, and Mary Craigen, former Secretary-Treasurer, were each charged in a five-count indictment with one count of embezzlement of more than $1,000 on a federal enclave, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 661, and two counts of mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1341. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On July 16, 2012, in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, Lanny F. Pauley, former Secretary-Treasurer of National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 1412 (located in Garden City, Kans.), was sentenced to two years of probation and was ordered to pay $14,898.51 in restitution and a $100 assessment. On September 12, 2011, Pauley pled guilty to one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Kansas City Resident Investigator Office.
On July 12, 2012, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Pamela S. Hinzman, former Treasurer of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 1580 (located in Parkersburg, W.Va.), was sentenced to five years of probation and was ordered to pay $22,304.22 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office.
On July 3, 2012, in the First Judicial Parish Court of Caddo Parish, Louisiana, Lori Fowler, former office manager for Carpenters Local 764 (formerly located in Shreveport, La.), was charged with one count of theft in the amount of $25,417.74, in violation of Louisiana Revised Statute 14:67. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
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Criminal Enforcement Actions 2012
An indictment is a formal accusation or charge based on a finding by a Grand Jury that it is likely that the person charged committed the criminal offense described in the indictment and is the means by which an accused person (defendant) is brought to trial. An indictment raises no inference of guilt. As in all criminal cases, each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
An information is a formal accusation of a crime by a government attorney rather than a Grand Jury. An information raises no inference of guilt. As in all criminal cases, each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
A charge is an accusation of criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. As in all criminal cases, each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Each count is a separate and distinct offense charged in an indictment or information.
A guilty plea is a defendant’s admission to the court that he or she committed the offense charged and an agreement to waive the right to a trial.
A conviction is a judgment based on a jury’s verdict, judge’s finding, or the defendant’s admission that the defendant is guilty of the crime charged.
A sentence is a judicial determination of the punishment to be imposed on an individual who has plead guilty or has been convicted by a jury or judge of a criminal offense.
Source: Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS)