As in prior years, corruption plagued many unions in 2018, as union bosses across the nation were caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar.
The list below does not encompass all of the union corruption stories across the nation.
For example, the United Auto Workers’ corruption scandal is still ongoing.
However, these are the cases* of union corruption in 2018, as reported by the U.S. Department of Labor.
On December 20, 2018, in the United States District Court of Rhode Island, Adam Conheeny, former police officer and former Treasurer of Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge 8 (located in Newport, R.I.), was sentenced to three months of imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release. Conheeny previously paid $20,000 in restitution. On May 24, 2018, Conheeny, pleaded guilty, admitting that between August 2009 and December 2014, he used an FOP debit card, wrote checks from a union account payable to himself, and withdrew cash from an FOP bank account for his own personal use, totaling approximately $31,413, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the Rhode Island State Police.
On December 20, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, John Burgess, former President of Pacific Stainless Products Employee Association Local 304 (located in St. Helens, Ore.), pleaded guilty to one count of concealment or destruction of labor union financial records, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On December 19, 2018, in the United States District Court for Southern District of Iowa, Theodore “Ted” Watson, former business manager for Insulators Local 74 (located in Des Moines, Iowa), was indicted for embezzlement, mail fraud, and false statements, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), 18 U.S.C. 1341, and 18 U.S.C. 1001, respectively. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On December 19, 2018, in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Newport News Division, Benjamin Wisecarver, former President of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 264 (located in Hampton, Va.), pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and embezzle union assets for embezzling $57,310 from the union, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On December 18, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Nancy Adams Johnson, former senior official in the Chrysler Department of the United Auto Workers (UAW), located in Detroit, Mich., was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison and 12 months of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and a $100 special assessment. Restitution will be determined at a later proceeding. On July 23, 2018, Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA), in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371, stemming from her receipt of over $45,000 in prohibited payments and things of value from Alphons Iacobelli, former Vice President of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC (FCA), and others acting in the interest of FCA. The prohibited payments and things of value, which occurred or were received between 2010 and 2015, included purchases of luggage, electronics, clothing, and other golf equipment for the personal benefit of Johnson and other UAW officials. The payments were made using the bank account and credit card account of the UAW-Chrysler National Training Center (NTC), which was established to provide for the education, training, and retraining of Chrysler workers. The sentencing follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On December 17, 2018, in the Jefferson County Circuit Court for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Robin Ray Bishop, former Financial Secretary of Carpenters Local 2501 (located in Louisville, Ky.), was indicted on one count of theft by deception over $500, nine counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument, and one count of falsifying business records, in violation of K.R.S. 514.040, 516.060, and 517.050, respectively. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On December 14, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, Lawrence Ackerman, the Chief Operating Officer of “shell” companies including Atlantic Business Associates (ABA) and Atlantic Medical Associates (AMA), pleaded guilty to a superseding information for Health Care Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1347, as well as Aiding and Abetting, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2. Ackerman executed a scheme to defraud Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of New Jersey involving enrollment of ineligible participants who were purported employees of ABA and AMA, both sham companies, in the benefit plan of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2326 (located in South River, N.J.), which had an insurance contract with Horizon BCBS. Ackerman entered into a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with Local 2326; however, neither ABA nor AMA had any full-time employees eligible for participation in the benefit plan as required by the CBA and benefit plan trust agreement. The resulting loss to Horizon BCBS was approximately $481,500 because of its payment of healthcare benefits for persons not eligible to receive such benefits. The plea follows a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General led by the New Jersey US Attorney’s Office.
On December 10, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, Johnnie Nicholas, former Financial Secretary of United Mine Workers Local 4994 (located in New Philadelphia, Ohio), was sentenced to seven days of incarceration and three years of supervised release. On the day of sentencing, Nicholas made a remaining restitution payment of $17,650. Nicholas was also ordered to perform 200 hours of community service and pay a $10,000 fine and a $100 special assessment. On May 7, 2018, Nicholas pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $37,900, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On December 7, 2018, in Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Maryland, Keith Franzese, former President of Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA) Local 275 (located in Glenn Dale, Md.), was sentenced to 10 years in prison (suspended), 90 days of home detention, and five years of probation. He was also ordered to pay restitution of $67,624. On June 1, 2018, Franzese entered an Alford plea to one count of theft for stealing $67,624 from the union, in violation of Maryland Criminal Law Section 7-104(g)(1)(ii). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
On December 6, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Ivar Carlson, former Treasurer/Business Agent of Stage and Picture Operators Local 935(B), located in Worcester, Mass., was arrested and charged in a one-count complaint for embezzlement in the amount of $37,014, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The complaint follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office.
On December 4, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, Gregory Normand, former Secretary-Treasurer of International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) Local 324 (located in Everett, Wash.), was sentenced to 18 months in a federal penitentiary and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $217,260, and a $300 assessment. On July 13, 2018, Normand pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling over $248,000 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and two counts of making false statements, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On November 28, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Newport News Division, Dorian Nicely, former business agent for International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 264 (located in Hampton, Va.), was sentenced to 10 months in prison followed by 180 days of home detention and three years of probation. Nicely was also ordered to pay the remaining restitution of $53,704 at $350 per month after her release from prison. On July 17, 2018, Nicely pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and embezzle labor union assets for embezzling $57,310 from the union, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On November 28, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Newport News Division, Dennis Nicely, former Vice President of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 264 (located in Hampton, Va.), was sentenced to 10 months in prison followed by 180 days of home detention and three years of probation. Nicely was also ordered to pay the remaining restitution of $53,704 at $350 per month after his release from prison. On July 17, 2018, Nicely pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and embezzle labor union assets for embezzling $57,310 from the union, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On November 18, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Roderick Bennett, former Chief of Staff for the Laborers International Union of North America (located in Washington, D.C.), pleaded guilty to three counts of embezzlement from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). On January 18, 2018, Bennett was indicted on three counts of embezzlement from a labor organization for embezzling approximately $170,000 from the union. In addition, Bennett and Aimee Occhetti were indicted on one count of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1347 & 1349, respectively, for putting Occhetti, who was not a full-time LIUNA employee, on the union’s health care plan when she was not eligible for coverage. The health plan charges are still pending. The plea follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On November 16, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Victoria Sharp, former office secretary for American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 903 (located in Columbia, Mo.), was sentenced to four months in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and four years of supervised release, and she was ordered to pay $18,531 in restitution and a $100 court assessment. On July 23, 2018, Sharp pleaded guilty to bank fraud, in violation 18 U.S.C. 1344. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On November 16, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Mervin Hawk, former President of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1640 (located in Detroit, Mich.), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling over $300,000 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The plea follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On November 13, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Tommy Nou, former Financial Secretary of Transportation Communications Union/International Association of Machinists (TCU/IAM) Local 6602 (located in San Pedro, Calif.), was charged in a six-count indictment for bank fraud in the amount of $6,846, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1344. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Las Vegas Resident Office.
On November 13, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Virdell King, a former senior official in the Chrysler Department of the United Auto Workers (UAW) and former assistant director for the UAW-Chrysler National Training Center (NTC), both located in Detroit, Mich., was sentenced to two months in prison and 12 months of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a $5,500 fine and a $100 special assessment. Restitution will be determined at a later proceeding. On August 29, 2017, King pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA), in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371, stemming from her receipt of over $40,000 in prohibited payments and things of value from Alphons Iacobelli, former Vice President of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC (FCA), and others acting in the interest of FCA. The prohibited payments and things of value, which occurred or were received between 2010 and 2015, included purchases of luggage, electronics, clothing, and other golf equipment for the personal benefit of King and other UAW officials. The payments were made using the bank account and credit card account of the UAW-Chrysler National Training Center (NTC), which was established to provide for the education, training, and retraining of Chrysler workers. The sentencing follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On November 13, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, Gordon Jeremy Cairns, former President of Steelworkers Local 1089 (located in Harrisburg, S.C.), was sentenced to five years of probation. He was also ordered to pay $62,871 in restitution, forfeiture of property, and a $100 special assessment. On March 14, 2018, Cairns pleaded guilty to embezzlement in the amount of $62,871, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.
On November 9, 2018, in the Fulton Superior Court for the State of Georgia, Rakaia Shanta Jackson, former President of National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), District 1, IAM, AFL-CIO Local 1525 (located in Hernando, Fla.), was charged in a one-count indictment for theft by taking in an amount of a value of at least $5,000 but less than $25,000, in violation of O.C.G.A 16-8-2. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.
On November 7, 2018, in the Third Judicial District in Dona Ana County, New Mexico, Daniel Correa, former business agent for Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 16 (located in Albuquerque, N.M.), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement (over $20,000), in violation of NMSA §30-16-8. He was then sentenced to nine years in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (suspended), two years of parole, and five years of supervised probation. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $30,339 and a $180 probation fee. The guilty plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On November 7, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Jerome Durden, former financial analyst in the Corporate Accounting Department of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC (FCA) and former Controller of the UAW-Chrysler National Training Center (NTC), both located in Detroit, Mich., was sentenced to 15 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $8,811 for the tax charge and a $125 special assessment. Restitution with respect to the prohibited payments will be determined at a later proceeding. On August 8, 2017, Durden pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371, by preparing and filing tax returns for the NTC between 2009 and 2015 that falsely concealed millions of dollars in prohibited payments directed to former UAW Vice President General Holiefield (now deceased), former FCA Vice President Alphons Iacobelli, and others. Durden also pleaded guilty to one count of failure to file an income tax return for 2013, in violation of 26 U.S.C. 7203. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On November 7, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Michael Brown, a former management employee at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC (FCA) and former Co-Director of the United Auto Workers (UAW) – Chrysler National Training Center (NTC), both located in Detroit, Mich., was sentenced to 12 months in prison and 12 months of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and a $100 special assessment. Restitution will be determined at a later proceeding. On May 25, 2018, Brown pleaded guilty to one count of misprision of a felony, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 4, for his knowledge of a conspiracy between FCA executives acting in the interest and on behalf of FCA and UAW officials to provide prohibited payments and things of value to UAW officials and concealing such knowledge by deliberately providing misleading and incomplete testimony in the federal grand jury about the conspiracy. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On November 7, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Keith Mickens, former senior official in the Chrysler Department of the United Auto Workers (UAW), located in Detroit, Mich., was sentenced to 12 months in prison and 12 months of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and a $100 special assessment. Restitution will be determined at a later proceeding. On April 5, 2018, Mickens pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA), in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371, for receiving over $7,700 in prohibited payments and things of value from Alphons Iacobelli, former Vice President of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC (FCA), and others acting in the interest of FCA, and in obtaining a check in the amount of $13,500 payable to Monica Morgan Photography and used by the late-UAW Vice President General Holiefield and his spouse, Monica Morgan, to pay the remaining balance due on the installation of a swimming pool at their residence. The prohibited payments and things of value, which occurred or were received between 2010 and 2015, included purchases of luggage, electronics, clothing, and other golf equipment for the personal benefit of Mickens and other UAW officials. The payments were made using the bank account and credit card account of the UAW-Chrysler National Training Center (NTC), which was established to provide for the education, training, and retraining of Chrysler workers. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On November 6, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Charles Webster, former President of Steelworkers (formerly Glass Molders Plastics) Local 284 (located in Longview, Tex.), was sentenced to one year of probation. He was also ordered to pay $4,633 in restitution, a $1,000 fine, and a $25 special assessment. On May 29, 2018, Webster pleaded guilty to one count of concealing union financial records required to be kept in support of the union’s annual financial report, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On October 30, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Deborah Hand, former bookkeeper for Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) Local 270 (located in Tulsa, Okla.), was sentenced to three months of incarceration, five months of home confinement, and three years of supervised release. Hand was also ordered to pay $44,808 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. On July 31, 2018, Hand pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging her with embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office and the United States Secret Service Tulsa Resident Office.
On October 25, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois, Anthony Edmunds, former President of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2419 (located in Danville, Ill.), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the approximate amount of $19,482, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On October 23, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, Michael A. Taylor, former General Chairman of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainman (BLET)/IBT Division 815 (located in Joliet, Ill.), was sentenced to four years of probation. Taylor was also ordered to perform 200 hours community service and to pay $59,150 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. On March 20, 2018, Taylor pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On October 19, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of Alaska, Timothy Smith, former President of the Civilian Technicians Chapter 84 (located in Anchorage Alaska), was sentenced to eight months in a federal penitentiary and three years of supervised release, and he was ordered to pay restitution totaling $80,990 and a $100 assessment. On April 13, 2018, Smith pleaded guilty to a single count of making a false statement in order to conceal the embezzlement, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On October 18, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, Caroline Kelly Phelps, former office secretary of Operating Engineers International Union (OEIU) Local 369 (located in Cordova, Tenn.), was indicted on one count of embezzlement of union funds totaling approximately $40,000, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.
On October 17, 2018,in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Joan Matthews, former bookkeeper for the Charleston Building and Construction Trades Council (located in Charleston, W.Va.), was sentenced to 12 months and one day of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $141,325 in restitution. On June 11, 2018, Matthews pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
On October 17, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Newport News Division, Benjamin Wisecarver, former President of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 264 (located in Hampton, Va.), was indicted on three counts of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c); two counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343; and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and embezzle union assets, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371, for participating in an embezzlement of $57,310 from the union. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On October 15, 2018, in the Vermillion County, Indiana Circuit Court, Darin Kingrey, former Financial Secretary of United Steelworkers Local 706 (located in Cayuga, Ind.), was charged in a two-count information with theft of approximately $7,094 in union funds, in violation of Indiana Code 35-43-4-2. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On October 15, 2018, in the Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento, John Zehm, former business manager for the Tile Setters and Finishers Union of Northern California (located in Sacramento, Calif.), pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of Grand Theft, in violation of California Penal Code 487(a). Zehm was then sentenced to 90 days in jail (suspended) and three years of informal probation, and he was ordered to pay $300 in fines. As a condition of his plea agreement, Zehm previously paid restitution in the amount of $14,014. The guilty plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On October 5, 2018, in the City of Williston, North Dakota, Williams County Court, Kenneth Keith Kirk Evans, former President of National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 1494 (located in Williston, N.D.), pleaded guilty to Theft of Property, in violation of North Dakota Century Code Section 12.1-23-02, Misdemeanor A. His sentencing was deferred until November 30, 2019. In the petition to enter a plea of guilty, Evans admitted to knowingly exercising unauthorized control over the property of another with the intent to deprive the owner thereof. Evans was sentenced to 360 days of unsupervised probation and was ordered to pay restitution of $3,562 by October 8, 2018 and fees totaling $325. The guilty plea and deferred sentence follow an investigation by OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
On October 4, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, Steven Kristopher Perry, former Financial Secretary-Treasurer of United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Local 2077 (located in Columbus, Ohio), was charged in a one-count information with embezzlement of union funds totaling approximately $20,458, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On September 28, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, David Thomas Hendricks, former Secretary-Treasurer of International Association of Stage and Picture Operators (IATSE) Local 900 (located in Huntsville, Ala.), was sentenced to five years of probation. Hendricks was also ordered to pay $13,987 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. On May 21, 2018, Hendricks pleaded guilty to one-count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.
On September 26, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Rocco Fazzolari, former President of International Brotherhood of Trade Unions Local 122, an independent union located in East Meadow, N.Y., pleaded guilty to an information for Embezzlement of Union Funds (29 U.S.C. 501c), Embezzlement from an Employee Benefit Plan as well as Conspiracy to Embezzle from an Employee Benefit Plan (18 U.S.C. 664 and 371). More than $128,000 was embezzled from the union and more than $1.1 million from the benefit fund. The guilty plea follows a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, SDNY, Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Labor-Management Racketeering Unit.
On September 25, 2018, in the Waupaca County, Wisconsin Circuit Court, Teresa Adkins, former business manager of Heat & Frost Insulators Local 127 (located in Clintonville, Wisc.), pleaded no contest to one count of theft in a business setting of more than $10,000 and one count of forgery, in violation of Wisconsin State Statute 943.20(1)(b) and 943.38(1)(a), respectively. Adkins was then sentenced to five years of probation for the first count and three years of probation for the second count. Adkins was also ordered to pay $73,618 in restitution and $8,418 in fines. The plea and sentencing follow an investigation by OLMS Minneapolis Resident Office.
On September 19, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, John Burgess, former President of Pacific Stainless Products Employee Association Local 304 (located in St. Helens, Ore.), was indicted for one count of embezzling approximately $35,000 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). Additionally, Burgess was indicted for one count of concealment or destruction of labor union financial records, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On September 12, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, Spartanburg Division, Dana Quinn Roush, former President of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 403 (located in Spartanburg, S.C.), was charged with one count of embezzlement in the amount of $10,089, in violation of 29 U.S.C 501(c). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.
On August 27, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Alphons Iacobelli, former Vice President of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC (FCA), was sentenced to 66 months in prison and 24 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $853,522 for the tax charge, a $10,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment. Restitution for the one count of conspiracy to violate the Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA) will be determined at a later date. On January 22, 2018, Iacobelli pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the LMRA, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371, for paying and delivering over $1.5 million in prohibited payments and things of value to officers and employees of the United Auto Workers. Iacobelli also pleaded guilty to one count of failing to report on his 2014 individual tax return approximately $861,927 in income, in violation of 26 U.S.C. 7206(1). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On August 24, 2018, in the United States District Court Southern District of Illinois, Scott Alexander and Nancy Alexander, former President and former office administrator, respectively, for Teamsters Local 50 (located in Belleville, Ill.), were each sentenced to six months in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons to be served concurrently, six months of home confinement, and three years of probation. They were also ordered to pay $44,576 in restitution and a $200 court assessment. On May 17, 2018, Scott Alexander and Nancy Alexander pleaded guilty to embezzlement and wire fraud, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and 18 U.S.C. 1343, respectively. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On August 22, 2018, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Marlborough District Court, Edgar Barajas, former Financial Secretary of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 4-1702 (located in Marlborough, Mass.), was charged with three counts of Larceny over $250 (MGL Ch. 266, Sec. 30A) for the embezzlement of approximately $11,000 in union funds. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office.
On August 20, 2018, in the Clark County, Indiana Circuit Court, Diana Brown, former Financial Secretary of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 84807 (located in Jeffersonville, Ind.), pleaded guilty to 10 felony counts of forgery, in violation of Indiana Revised Code 35-43-5-2(b)(1). Brown was then sentenced to eight years in jail (six years suspended with two years of daily reporting probation for non-resident) and six years of probation. The plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On August 17, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, Danny Woodcock, former President of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 83770 (located in Columbus, Miss.), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On August 15, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Carl DeRenzis, former Treasurer of International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) Local 1955 (located in Philadelphia, Pa.), was sentenced to three years of probation with the first six months to be served in a residential re-entry center and 50 hours of community service. DeRenzis was also ordered to pay $15,701 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. He previously paid restitution in the amount of $37,580. On October 30, 2017, DeRenzis pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
On August 9, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, Natalie Przybylski, former office staff employee for American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 76 (located in Englewood, Colo.), pleaded guilty to one count of false statements, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). She was then sentenced to one year of unsupervised probation and was ordered to pay $321 in restitution and a $25 court assessment. Przybylski previously paid restitution in the amount of $17,620. The guilty plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On August 6, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, Natalie Przybylski, former office staff employee for American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 76 (located in Englewood, Colo.), was charged in an information with one count of false statements in records required to be kept under the LMRDA, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On August 3, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Karen Auer, a principal of an accounting firm, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor information for Filing Fraudulent Returns, Statements or Other Documents, in violation of 26 U.S.C. 7207. On May 31, 2018, Auer and Salvatore Armao, the managing partner at the same accounting firm, were charged by complaint with Aiding and Abetting an Embezzlement of Union Funds (18 U.S.C. 2 and 29 U.S.C. 501c), False Statements in Employee Benefit Plan Records and Reports (18 U.S.C. 1027), and Conspiracy (18 U.S.C. 371). Auer was also charged in the complaint with making a False Statement (18 U.S.C. 1001). The guilty plea follows a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, SDNY, Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice’s Labor-Management Racketeering Unit.
On August 2, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Salvatore Armao, the managing partner of an accounting firm, pleaded guilty to an information for False Statements in Employee Benefit Plan Records and Reports, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1027. On May 31, 2018, Armao and Karen Auer, a principal at the same accounting firm, were charged by complaint with Aiding and Abetting an Embezzlement of Union Funds (18 U.S.C. 2 and 29 U.S.C. 501c), False Statements in Employee Benefit Plan Records and Reports (18 U.S.C. 1027), and Conspiracy (18 U.S.C. 371). The guilty plea follows a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, SDNY, Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice’s Labor-Management Racketeering Unit.
On July 31, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Deborah Hand, former bookkeeper for Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) Local 270 (located in Tulsa, Okla.), pleaded guilty to embezzling union funds in the approximate amount of $44,808, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office and United States Secret Service Tulsa Resident Office.
On July 25, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Rocky DeFilippo, former Delegate of Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge 189 (located in Metuchen, N.J.), was sentenced to three months of home confinement, two years of probation, and he was ordered to pay a $1,500 fine and a $300 special assessment. On March 2, 2018, DeFilippo was convicted by a jury of one count of making false statements, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and one count of wire fraud. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, the Amtrak Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
On July 23, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Deborah Hand, former bookkeeper for Sheet Metal Workers Local 270 (located in Tulsa, Okla.), was charged in a one count information for embezzling union funds in the approximate amount of $44,808, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office and United States Secret Service Tulsa Resident Office.
On July 23, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Victoria Sharp, former office secretary for American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 903 (located in Columbia, Mo.), was charged in an information with one count of bank fraud in the amount of $18,531, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1344. On the same date, Sharp pleaded guilty to the charge. The charge and guilty plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On July 23, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Nancy Adams Johnson, a former senior official in the Chrysler Department of the United Auto Workers (UAW), located in Detroit, Mich., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Labor Management Relations Act, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On July 18, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Western Division, Ronald Coldren, former Financial Secretary of Steelworkers Local 207 (located in Findlay, Ohio), was sentenced to probation for two years with standard and additional specifications. On March 28, 2018, Coldren pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement in the amount of $30,639, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On July 18, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Pamela Noble, former Financial Secretary of Steelworkers Local 6904 (located in Little Rock, Ark.), was sentenced to five years of probation. Noble was also ordered to pay $43,274 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. On February 13, 2018, Noble pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging her with embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On July 17, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Newport News Division, Dennis Nicely, former Vice President of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 264 (located in Hampton, Va.), pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and embezzle $57,310 from the union, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On July 17, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Henry Clay Green, Sr., former Secretary-Treasurer of Union of Needletrades, Industrial, and Textile Employees – Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees (UNITE HERE) Local 26 (located in Medford, Mass.), was sentenced to six months in prison and one year of supervised release. Restitution and forfeiture will be determined at a hearing scheduled for September 26, 2018. On December 1, 2017, Green pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
On July 17, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Newport News Division, Dorian Nicely, former business agent for International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 264 (located in Hampton, Va.), pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and embezzle $57,310 from the union, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On July 13, 2018, in the State of Connecticut, Superior Court District of Tolland, Sharon Thompson, former President of American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 5143 (located in Rocky Hill, Conn.), was arrested and charged in an information with one count of Larceny in the 2nd Degree (CGS 53a-123) for the embezzlement of $13,098 from the union. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office.
On July 13, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Monica Morgan, the wife of the late General Holiefield, a former Vice President of the United Auto Workers (UAW) International Union (located in Detroit, Mich.), was sentenced to 18 months in prison and 12 months of supervised release. Morgan was also ordered to pay $190,747 in restitution, a $25,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment. On February 6, 2018, Morgan pleaded guilty to failing to report $201,231 in income she received on her 2011 individual tax return, in violation of 26 U.S.C. 7206(1). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On July 13, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, Gregory Normand, former Secretary-Treasurer of International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART) Local 324 (located in Everett, Wash.), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling over $248,000 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and two (2) counts of making false statements, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On July 2, 2018, in El Paso County Colorado District Court, Ashley Jacobson, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2430 (located in Colorado Springs, Colo.), was charged with two counts of theft, in violation of C.R.S. 18-4-401(1)(b),(2)(g) and 18-4-401(1)(b),(2)(e). The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Inspector General.
On June 29, 2018, in the Superior Court of New Jersey (Passaic County), Sharon Williams-Savage, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2425 (located in East Orange, N.J.), was sentenced to five years of probation (non-reporting). Williams-Savage was also ordered to pay $180 per month in restitution totaling $18,000, a $30 law enforcement assessment fee, and a $75 penalty to the court. On April 4, 2018, Williams-Savage pleaded guilty to one count of fourth-degree theft by unlawful taking, in violation of NJSA 2C: 20 – 3. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office and the New Jersey State Police-Official Corruption Bureau.
On June 27, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Annette Jones, former Secretary-Treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 331 (located in Perry Point, Md.), was indicted on one count of bank fraud, two counts of mail fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1344, 18 U.S.C. 1341, and 18 U.S.C. 1028A, respectively. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office and the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Inspector General.
On June 27, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Audonus Duplessis, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2463 (located in Washington, D.C.), was indicted on one count of interstate transportation of stolen property for transporting $11,300 in stolen currency from the District of Columbia to Virginia, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2314. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
On June 26, 2018, in the Wayne County (Ohio) Court of Common Pleas, Shantel Hunter, former President of United Steelworkers of America Local 1-662 (located in Wooster, Ohio), was charged under Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 2913.02(A)(2) and 2913.02(A)(3) for theft by deception of more than $500 and less than $5,000, both felonies in the fifth degree. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On June 26, 2018, in the Wayne County (Ohio) Court of Common Pleas, Travis Hunter, former acting Financial Secretary of United Steelworkers of America Local 1-662 (located in Wooster, Ohio), was charged under Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 2913.02(A)(2) and 2913.02(A)(3) for theft by deception of more than $1,000 and less than $7,500, both felonies in the fifth degree. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On June 26, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Newport News Division, Dorian Nicely, former business agent of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 264 (located in Hampton, Va.), was charged in a criminal information with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and embezzle labor union assets for embezzling $57,310 from the union, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On June 26, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Newport News Division, Dennis Nicely, former Vice President of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 264 (located in Hampton, Va.), was charged in a criminal information with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and embezzle labor union assets for embezzling $57,310 from the union, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On June 25, 2018, in the Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento, John Zehm, former business manager for the Tile Setters and Finishers Union of Northern California (located in Sacramento, Calif.), was indicted on one count of grand theft of a value exceeding $950 and one count of embezzlement, in violation of California Penal Code 487(a) and 503, respectively. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On June 18, 2018, in the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda, Daniel Ross, former Treasurer of Transportation and Communications Union/International Association of Machinists (TCU/IAM) Lodge 6721 (located in Oakland, Calif.), pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of Grand Theft of Personal Property in the amount of $4,607, in violation of California Penal Code Section 487(a). Ross was immediately sentenced to 30 days of incarceration (suspended) and three years of probation. He was also ordered to pay $4,607 in restitution and a $240 fine. The plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On June 18, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Cheryl Angell, former Treasurer of United Steelworkers of America Local 2-144 (located in Combined Locks, Wisc.), was sentenced to 13 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Angell was also ordered to pay $98,711 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. On March 22, 2018, Angell pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling $98,711 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office.
On June 11, 2018, in the 185th District Court, Harris County of Texas, David Carter, former President of Teamsters Local 968 (located in Houston, Tex.), pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of Class A Theft in the amount of $2,443, in violation of Texas Statute 31.03(e)(3). On the same date, Carter was sentenced to two years deferred adjudication and ordered to pay $2,443 in restitution. The plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans Office.
On June 11, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Joan Matthews, former bookkeeper for the Charleston Building and Construction Trades Council (located in Charleston, W.Va.), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds in the amount of $183,667, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
On June 5, 2018, in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, Sophia Love, former President of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 2751 (located in Baltimore, Md.), pleaded guilty to one count of theft of more than $10,000 but less than $100,000, in violation of Maryland Criminal Law Section 7-104(g)(1)(ii), for stealing $15,548 from the union. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
On June 4, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Evelyn Romero, former President of United Industrial and Service Workers of America (UISWA) Local 101 (located in Colton, Calif.), pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371; one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $1,000, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c); and one count of permitting a barred individual to hold union office and employment, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 504. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
On June 1, 2018, in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Maryland, Keith Franzese, former President of Security, Police, and Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA) Local 275 (located in Greenbelt, Md.), entered an Alford plea to one count of theft of more than $10,000 but less than $100,000, in violation of Maryland Criminal Law Section 7-104(g)(1)(ii), for stealing $67,624 from the union. An Alford Plea is a guilty plea of a defendant who proclaims he is innocent of the crime, and admits that the prosecution has enough evidence to prove that he is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
On May 31, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Salvatore Armao and Karen Auer, respectively the managing partner and the principal of an accounting firm, were charged by complaint with Aiding and Abetting an Embezzlement of Union Funds (18 U.S.C. 2 and 29 U.S.C. 501c), False Statements in Employee Benefit Plan Records and Reports (18 U.S.C. 1027), and Conspiracy (18 U.S.C. 371). Auer was also charged with making a False Statement (18 U.S.C. 1001). The complaint follows a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, the SDNY, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice’s Labor-Management Racketeering Unit.
On May 29, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Charles Webster, former President of Steelworkers (formerly Glass, Molders, and Plastics) Local 284 (located in Longview, Tex.), was charged and pleaded guilty to one count of failing to maintain records, which were required to be kept in support of the union’s annual financial report, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The charge and guilty plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On May 29, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Newport News Division, Christopher Mulhall, former Secretary-Treasurer of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 264 (located in Hampton, Va.), pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and embezzlement, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371, for taking part in an embezzlement of $57,310 from the union. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On May 25, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Michael Brown, a former management employee at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC (FCA) (located in Detroit, Mich.), and former Co-Director of the United Auto Workers (UAW) – Chrysler National Training Center (NTC) pled guilty to one count of misprision of a felony, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 4. The guilty plea stems from Brown’s knowledge of a conspiracy between FCA executives acting in the interest and on behalf of FCA and UAW officials gamset to provide prohibited payments and things of value to UAW officials and concealing such knowledge by deliberately providing misleading and incomplete testimony in the federal grand jury about the conspiracy. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On May 24, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, Adam Conheeny, former Treasurer of Fraternal Order of Police, Local Lodge 8 (located in Newport, R.I.), pleaded guilty to one count of Wire Fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. The total amount of funds fraudulently converted was approximately $31,413. The guilty plea follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the Rhode Island State Police Financial Crimes Unit.
On May 22, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Roger Harris, former president of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local Union 3048 (located in Lompoc, Ca.), was charged in a one-count indictment for wire fraud in the amount of $36,150, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343. The indictment follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Treasury, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
On May 21, 2018, in the Ramsey County (Minnesota) District Court, Latasha Wilson, former Treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1969 (located in Minneapolis, Minn.), was sentenced to 20 years of probation and 100 hours of community service to be completed within the first year of probation. Wilson was also ordered to pay $58,150 in restitution and a $50 fine. On March 16, 2018, Wilson pled guilty to one count of theft by swindle of more than $35,000, in violation of Minnesota State Statute 609.52.2(a)(4). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General.
On May 21, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, David Hendricks, former Secretary Treasurer of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Stage and Picture Operators (IATSE) Local 900 (located in Huntsville, Ala.), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement in the amount of $13,957.78, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.
On May 17, 2018, in the United States District Court, Southern District of Illinois, Scott Alexander, former president for Teamsters Local 50 (located in Belleville, Ill.), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement and one count of wire fraud, in violations of 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and 18 USC 1343. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On May 17, 2018, in the United States District Court, Southern District of Illinois, Nancy Alexander, former office administrator for Teamsters Local 50 (located in Belleville, Ill.), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement and one count of wire fraud, in violations of 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and 18 USC 1343. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On May 14, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Maria Nunez, former office secretary of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) Local Lodge 1484 (located in Wilmington, Calif.), was sentenced to probation for a term of 2 years, ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,868.50 and assessed a $25 penalty. On January 4, 2018, Nunez pled guilty to one count of false statement in records required to be maintained by a labor union, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
On May 11, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, Richard D’Antuono, former Business Manager/Secretary Treasurer of the Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons (OPCM) Local 40 (located in Cranston, R.I.), was sentenced to three years imprisonment followed by three years supervised release for one count of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), one count of embezzling from an employee benefit fund, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 664, and aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1028A. D’Antuono was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $319,795 and a special assessment of $300. The sentencing follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General and the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
On May 11, 2018, in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Newport News Division, Christopher Mulhall, former Secretary-Treasurer of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 264 (located in Hampton, Va.), was charged in a criminal information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and embezzlement in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371 for taking part in an embezzlement of $57,310.03 from the union. The information is the result of an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
On May 7, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, Johnnie Nicholas, former Financial Secretary of Mine Workers Local 4994 (located in New Philadelphia, Ohio), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement in the amount of $37,900, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On April 25, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Steven Minella, former President/Business Agent of International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 324 (located in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), received a suspended sentence and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $38,000 to Local 324 as well as a $100 special assessment. On September 2, 2015, Minella pled guilty to one count of misprision of a felony (18 U.S.C. 4) for failing to report to appropriate authorities the commission of extortion by another Local 324 official (18 U.S.C. 1951). The sentencing follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On April 24, 2018, in the United States District Court District of Kansas, Robert Clearwater, former President for the National Association of Government Employees (NAGE) Local 14 (located in Topeka, Kans.), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement in the amount of $11,681 within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 661 as well as six counts of making false statements, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On April 23, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, Adam Conheeny, former Treasurer of Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Local Lodge 8 (located in Newport, R.I.), was charged in a one-count information with wire fraud in the amount of $31,413, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343. The charge follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On April 23, 2018, in the United States District Court of North Dakota, John J. Bickerstaff, former Treasurer of Heat & Frost Insulators and Allied Workers (HFIA) Local 133 (located in Bismarck, North Dakota), was sentenced to six months of home confinement and three years of supervised release. Bickerstaff was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $91,223.85 and a $100 special assessment. On January 24, 2018, Bickerstaff pled guilty to one count of embezzling $91,223.85 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
On April 20, 2018, in the United States District Court District of Southern Illinois, Wendy Buch, former Financial Secretary-Treasurer for Transportation Communication Union (TCU) Lodge T-574 (located in Shiloh, Ill.), was sentenced to five (5) years probation and was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $11,957.34 and pay a $150 special assessment. On December 14, 2017 Buch pled guilty to one count of embezzlement from a labor union, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and two counts of filing false reports, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On April 19, 2018, in the Williams County (North Dakota) NW Judicial District Court, Kenneth Keith Kirk Evans, former President of National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 1494 (located in Williston, N.D.), was charged in a one-count complaint with theft of property, a Class C felony, in violation of North Dakota Century Code Sections 12.1-23-02(1) and 12.1-23-05(3). The complaint alleges that Evans exercised unauthorized control of between $3,500 and $3,600 in funds belonging to NALC Branch 1494 with the intent of depriving Branch 1494 of said property, knowing that he was not privileged to do so. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
On April 18, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, David Hart, former Financial Secretary/Business Agent of International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 324 (located in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), was sentenced to time-served and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $37,000 to Local 324 and a $100 special assessment. On February 24, 2015, Hart pled guilty to one count of misprision of a felony (18 U.S.C. 4) for failing to report to appropriate authorities the commission of extortion by another Local 324 official (18 U.S.C. 1951). The sentencing follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On April 17, 2018, in the United States District Court for the state of Alaska, Ann Reddig, former Secretary-Treasurer of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 918 (located in Anchorage, Alaska), was sentenced to serve fourteen (14) months in a federal penitentiary and three (3) years of supervised release, ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $139,960, and assessed a $100 penalty. Reddig had previously pled guilty to one count of embezzling over $193,000 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On April 13, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of Alaska, Timothy Smith, former President of the Civilian Technicians Chapter 84 (located in Anchorage, Alaska), pled guilty to one count of making a false statement to conceal the embezzlement of over $80,000 in union funds, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001. The sentencing is scheduled for September 13, 2018. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On April 13, 2018, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Suffolk County Superior Court, Juan Evereteze, former President of Government Employees AFGE, AFL-CIO, Local 3258 (located in Boston, Mass.), was indicted on four counts of Larceny Over $250 by Single Scheme, in violation of Massachusetts G.L. 266, § 30, and one count of False Entry/Omission in Book of Corporation by Single Scheme, in violation of Massachusetts G.L. 266. § 67. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office.
On April 12, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, an information was filed charging Johnnie Nicholas, former Financial Secretary of Mine Workers Local 4994 (located in New Philadelphia, Ohio), with one count of embezzlement in the amount of $37,900, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On April 12, 2018, in the United States District Court District of Montana, Alicia Rooney, former office secretary for Plumbers Local 459 (located in Missoula, IL), was sentenced to 3 months confinement, 3 years probation, restitution in the amount of $163,554.95, and a $100 special assessment. On November 28, 2017 Rooney pled guilty to one count of embezzlement from a labor union in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and one count of embezzlement from an employee benefit plan in violation of 18 U.S.C. 664. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On April 12, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Mervin Hawk, former president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1640 (located in Detroit, Mich.), was charged in a one-count information with embezzling over $600,000 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On April 12, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, Jason Richard, former Secretary-Treasurer of the United Streel Workers (USW) Local 12-990 (located in Wallula, Wash.), was sentenced to six (6) months in a federal penitentiary and two (2) years of supervised release, ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $30,649, and assessed a $100 penalty. Richard had previously pled guilty to one count of embezzling over $40,000 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On April 11, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Marianne Rodacy, former Financial/Recording Secretary of Steelworkers Local 10-53-G (located in Charleroi, Pa.), was sentenced to six months of home confinement and three years of probation. Rodacy was also ordered to pay a $2,500 fine and a $100 special assessment. Rodacy had previously paid $21,539 in restitution. On December 15, 2017, Rodacy pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling $13,109 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
On April 6, 2018, in the United States District Court, District of New Jersey (Trenton), Sergio Acosta, former President and Trustee of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2326 (located in Edison, N.J.), pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him with one count of theft, embezzlement and conversion to his own use, or to the use of another, money and funds of the UAW Local 2326 health and welfare fund, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Sections 664 and 2. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
On April 5, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Keith Mickens, a former senior official in the Chrysler Department of the United Auto Workers (UAW), located in Detroit, Mich., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Labor Management Relations Act, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371. The guilty plea stems from his receipt of over $7,700 in prohibited payments and things of value from Alphons Iacobelli, former Vice President of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC (FCA), and others acting in the interest of FCA, and in obtaining a check in the amount of $13,500 payable to Monica Morgan Photography and used by the late-UAW Vice President General Holiefield and his spouse, Monica Morgan, to pay the remaining balance due on the installation of a swimming pool at their residence. The prohibited payments and things of value, which occurred or were received between 2010 and 2015, included purchases of luggage, electronics, clothing, and other golf equipment for the personal benefit of Mickens and other UAW officials. The payments were made using the bank account and credit card account of the UAW-Chrysler National Training Center (NTC), which was established to provide for the education, training, and retraining of Chrysler workers. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On April 4, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, David Hendricks, former Secretary Treasurer of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Stage and Picture Operators (IATSE) Local 900 (located in Huntsville, Ala.), was indicted on one count of embezzlement in the amount of $13,957, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.
On April 4, 2018, in the Superior Court of New Jersey (Passaic County), Sharon Williams-Savage, Former President of AFGE Local 2425, (located in East Orange, N.J.) pled guilty to one count of fourth-degree theft by unlawful taking, in violation of NJSA 2C: 20 – 3. Her sentencing is scheduled for June 22, 2018. The guilty plea follows a joint investigation by OLMS New York District Office and the New Jersey State Police-Official Corruption Bureau.
On April 3, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Michael Brown, a former management employee at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC (FCA) (located in Detroit, Mich.), and former Co-Director of the United Auto Workers (UAW) -Chrysler National Training Center (NTC), was charged in a fifth superseding information with one count of misprision of a felony, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 4. Brown is alleged to have had knowledge of a conspiracy between FCA executives acting in the interest and on behalf of FCA and UAW officials to provide prohibited payments and things of value to UAW officials and to have concealed such knowledge by deliberately providing misleading and incomplete testimony in the federal grand jury about the conspiracy. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On March 29, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Shreveport Division, Tyler Farrar, former Financial Secretary for United Food and Commercial Workers Local 88C (located in Bastrop, La.), was charged in a one count indictment for embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On March 28, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Western Division, Ronald Coldren, former Financial Secretary of Steelworkers Local 207 (located in Findlay, Ohio), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement in the amount of $30,639, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On March 26, 2018, in the U.S. District Court in Newark, New Jersey, Paul Moe Sr., a former general foreman and member of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), Local 1804-1 (located in North Bergen, N.J.) was sentenced to 24-months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Moe was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $749,000. On October 31, 2017, after a seven-day trial, a jury found Moe guilty on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 13 substantive counts of wire fraud, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 1343, stemming from his no-show job at the Port of Elizabeth terminal in New Jersey, with an annual salary of $500,000. The sentencing follows a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office; the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Employee Benefits Security Administration, New York Region; the Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations-Labor Racketeering and Fraud; and the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor.
On March 23, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Estes Evans, former treasurer of International Association of EMTs and Paramedics Local R7-33 (located in Milwaukee, Wis.), was sentenced to six months of home confinement and five years of supervised release. Evans was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $44,446.86 and a $100 special assessment. On December 22, 2017, Evans pled guilty to one count of embezzling $44,446.86 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office.
On March 22, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Cheryl Angell, former Treasurer of United Steelworkers of America Local 2-144 (located in Combined Locks, Wisc.), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling $98,711 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office.
On March 20, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, Michael A. Taylor, former General Chairman of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) Division 815 (located in Joliet, Ill.), was charged in an information with one count of embezzling $24,868 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). He then pleaded guilty to the charge. The charge and guilty plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On March 16, 2018, in the Ramsey County (Minnesota) District Court, Latasha Wilson, former Treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1969 (located in Minneapolis, Minn.), pled guilty to one count of theft by swindle of more than $35,000, in violation of Minnesota State Statute 609.52.2(a)(4). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
On March 14, 2018, in the Indiana 32nd Judicial Circuit Court, LaPorte County, Thomas H. Rodgers, Jr., former General Chairman for SMART General Committee of Adjustment 247 (formerly located in LaPorte, Ind.) pled guilty to one count of theft, in violation of Indiana Code 35-43-4-2. Following his guilty plea, Rodgers, Jr., was sentenced to 12 months of probation and ordered to pay restitution of $3,672.45. The guilty plea and sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On March 14, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, Columbia Division, Gordon Cairns, former President of United Steelworkers Local 1089 (located in Harrisburg, N.C.), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement in the amount of $63,999, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.
On March 14, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Nancy Adams Johnson, a former senior official in the UAW Chrysler Department of the United Auto Workers (UAW) (located in Detroit, Mich.) was charged in an indictment with one count of conspiracy to violate the Labor Management Relations Act, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371, and four counts of receiving and accepting prohibited money and things of value from a union employer, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 186, stemming from her receipt of over $38,847 in prohibited payments and things of value from Alphons Iacobelli, former Vice President of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC (FCA), and others acting in the interest of FCA. The prohibited payments and things of value, which occurred or were received between 2010 and 2015, included personal travel, golf resort fees, lavish meals, limousine services, designer clothing, jewelry, designer shoes, golf equipment, electronics, and a shotgun for the personal benefit of Johnson and other UAW officials. The payments were made using the bank account and credit card account of the UAW-Chrysler National Training Center (NTC), which was established to provide for the education, training, and retraining of Chrysler workers. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On March 14, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, John Hamilton, former business manager of International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 324 (located in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), was sentenced to 24 months in prison and 2 years of supervised release. Hamilton was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $250,000 and a $100 special assessment. On August 18, 2017, Hamilton pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371 and 18 U.S.C. 1951. The sentencing follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On March 9, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Kimberly Steinhoff, former Secretary-Treasurer of Steelworkers Local 2-87 (located in Munising, Mich.), was sentenced and ordered to immediately pay $10,651.52 in restitution, a $2,500 fine, and a $25 special assessment. On January 11, 2018, Steinhoff pled guilty to a one-count information of falsification of financial records required to be kept by a labor union, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
On March 7, 2018, in the City of Chicago, IL, Cook County Court, Milton Thomas, former Shop Chairman of Auto Workers Local 890 (located in Morton Grove, Ill.), was indicted on one count of Theft, Class 2 of between $10,000 to $100,000 in violation of Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/16-1(a)(2) and Forgery 720 ILCS 5.0/17-3(a)(2) for making unauthorized checks payable to himself for lost wages and for forging union disbursement vouchers. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On March 6, 2018, in the Summers County West Virginia Court, Steven Brumit, former secretary treasurer of the Locomotive Engineers, IBT, West Virginia State Legislative Board (formerly located in Hinton, W. Va.), was indicted on one count of embezzling in excess of $6,433.76 in violation of West Virginia Code 61-3-20 and felonious fraudulent scheme for writing 13 unauthorized checks to himself. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
On March 2, 2018, in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, Rocky DeFilippo, former delegate of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge 189 (located in Metuchen, N.J.), was found guilty by a federal jury of: one count of making false statements, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001; one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1349; and one count of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343. The conviction follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, the Amtrak Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
On March 1, 2018, in the Montana First Judicial District Court, Lewis and Clark County,Mackenzie Dworshak, former Treasurer for American Federation of Teachers Local 6105 (located in Helena, Mont.), pled guilty to one count of Theft of Property by Embezzlement in violation of Montana Code Annotated (2015) 45-6-301(7)(a) and was sentenced to a three year probation (suspended imposition of sentence), restitution in the amount of $7,903.56, administrative fee of $790.35, and a fine of $80. The plea and conviction follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis Office.
On February 21, 2018, in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, MD, Fonda White, former Secretary-Treasurer of Communications Workers of America Local 2390 (located in Maugansville, MD), was sentenced to 10 years in prison (suspended), 90 days of home detention, and 5 years of probation. She was also ordered to pay restitution of $46,271.52. On November 21, 2017, White pled guilty to one count of theft with a value of at least $10,000 but less than $100,000, in violation of Maryland Criminal Law Section 7-104(g)(1). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
On February 20, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Stephanie DeBoer, the former office manager and bookkeeper of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 876 (located in Edmore, Mich.), was sentenced to 48 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $307,562.54 and a $100 special assessment. On November 13, 2017, DeBoer pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On February 15, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Tamika Bullock, former Treasurer of International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 684 (located in Chesapeake, Va.), was sentenced to 14 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Bullock was also ordered to pay $24,600 in restitution. On November 14, 2017, Bullock pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling $24,600 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
On February 15, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of Alaska, Timothy Smith, former President of the Civilian Technicians Association Chapter 84 (located in Anchorage, Alaska), was served with an information for one count of making a false statement to conceal the embezzlement of over $80,000 in union funds, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001. The filing of the information follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
On February 13, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Pamela Noble, former Financial Secretary for Steelworkers Local 6904 (located in Little Rock, Ark.), was charged in a one-count information for embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). She then pleaded guilty to embezzling $43,274. The charge and guilty plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On February 12, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Raymond C. Ventrone, former Business Manager of International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 154 (located in Pittsburgh, Pa.) was sentenced to 41 months incarceration followed by 3 years of supervised released and ordered to pay $2,391,183 in restitution to Boilermakers Local 154 and $500,000 restitution to Zurich Surety for embezzlement of union funds. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $223,881 to the Internal Revenue Service for tax evasion. On September 14, 2017, Ventrone pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and one count of tax evasion in violation of 26 U.S.C. 7201. The sentencing follows an investigation of the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office along with the FBI, DOL-OIG, and the IRS.
On February 12, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of Maine, Ryan Jones, former Secretary-Treasurer of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local S-6 (located in Bath, Maine), was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release. The court also ordered Jones to pay restitution totaling $280,865. On September 6, 2017, Jones pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On February 7, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, Robert Clearwater, former President for the National Association of Government Employees Local 14-8 (located in Topeka, Kansas), was indicted on one count of embezzlement in the amount of $11,681 within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C 661 and six counts of false statements, in violation of 18 U.S.C 1001. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On February 6, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Keith Mickens, a former senior official in the Chrysler Department of the United Auto Workers (UAW) (located in Detroit, Mich.) was charged in an information with one count of conspiracy to violate the Labor Management Relations Act, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371, stemming from his receipt of over $7,500 in prohibit payments and things of value from Alphons Iacobelli, former Vice President of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC (FCA), and others acting in the interest of FCA. The prohibited payments and things of value, which occurred or were received between 2010 and 2015, included purchases of luggage, electronics, designer clothing, and other golf equipment for the personal benefit of Mickens and other UAW officials. The payments were made using the bank account and credit card account of the UAW-Chrysler National Training Center (NTC), which was established to provide for the education, training, and retraining of Chrysler workers. The charge, which was sealed until March 13, 2018, follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On February 6, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Monica Morgan, the wife of the late General Holiefield, a former Vice President of the United Auto Workers (UAW) International Union (located in Detroit, Mich.), pled guilty to failing to report $201,231 in income she received on her 2011 individual tax return, in violation of 26 U.S.C. 7206(1). The sentencing is scheduled for June 4, 2018. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On February 6, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Glenn Smith, the former Controller of the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters (MRCC) (located in Detroit, Mich.), was sentenced to 15 months in prison and two years of supervised release, and he was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $534,097. On October 3, 2017, Smith pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On January 24, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota, John J. Bickerstaff, former Treasurer of Heat & Frost Insulators and Allied Workers (HFIA) Local 133 (located in Bismarck, N.D.), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $91,223, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
On January 23, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Joan Matthews, former bookkeeper for the Charleston Building and Construction Trades Council (CBCTC), located in Charleston, W.Va., was charged in a one-count indictment for embezzling $183,667 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
On January 23, 2018, in the Hamilton County, Ohio Court of Common Pleas, Elizabeth Merrill, former Secretary-Treasurer of Government Security Officers (UGSOA) Local 251 (located in Cincinnati, Ohio), pled guilty to one count of attempted theft and one count of attempted forgery in violation of O.R.C. 2923.02, and was sentenced to 180 days in jail (suspended), one year of probation, and a $100 fine. The plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On January 22, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Alphons “Al” Iacobelli, former Vice President of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC (FCA), pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA) for paying and delivering over $1.5 million in prohibited payments and things of value to officers and employees of the United Auto Workers (UAW), in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371. The prohibited payments and things of value, which occurred between 2009 and 2015, included designer clothing, jewelry, furniture, custom-made watches, cases of custom-labeled wine ($3,000), and paying off the mortgage on the personal residence of a UAW vice president ($262,219). The payments were made using the bank account and credit card accounts of the UAW-Chrysler National Training Center (NTC), which was established to provide for the education, training, and retraining of workers. Iacobelli also pleaded guilty to one count of failing to report on his 2014 individual tax returns approximately $861,927 in income, in violation of 26 U.S.C. 7206(1). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.
On January 22, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Matthew Smith, former Treasurer of Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 576 (located in Hurst, Tex.), was sentenced to 10 months in prison and one year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $300,848 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. On October 4, 2017, Smith pleaded guilty to embezzling union funds from Local 576, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On January 19, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Jeni May Hughes, former office manager for Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 155 (located in Little Rock, Ark.), was sentenced to 30 months of confinement and three years of supervised release, and she was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $428,874 and a $100 special assessment. On May 10, 2017, Hughes pleaded guilty to a one-count criminal information charging her with embezzling $428,874 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On January 19, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Western Division, Guy Gokey, former Financial Secretary of Glass, Molders, and Plastics (GMP) Local 59 (located in Toledo, Ohio), was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay outstanding restitution in the amount of $2,753. On July 26, 2017, Gokey pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement in the amount of $14,074. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On January 18, 2018, Roderick Bennett, former Chief of Staff for the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA), located in Washington, D.C., was indicted on three counts of embezzlement from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), for embezzling at least $170,000 from the union. In addition, Bennett and Aimee Occhetti were indicted on one count of health care fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1347, and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1349, for putting Occhetti on the union’s health care plan when she was not eligible for coverage. Occhetti was not a full-time employee of LIUNA and therefore not eligible to participate in the plan. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On January 18, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, Richard D’Antuono, former Business Manager/Secretary Treasurer of the Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons (OPCM) Local 40 (located in Cranston, R.I.), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling union funds (29 U.S.C. 501(c)), one count of embezzling from an employee benefit fund (18 U.S.C. 664), and aggravated identity theft (18 U.S.C. 1028A). The total amount embezzled was approximately $319,795. The guilty plea follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
On January 17, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Cheryl Angell, former Treasurer of United Steelworkers of America Local 2-144 (located in Combined Locks, Wisc.), was charged with one count of embezzlement of $98,711 and four counts of filing a false report, in violation of 29 U.S.C 501(c) and 29 U.S.C 439(b), respectively. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office.
On January 12, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Norman Baker, former Financial Secretary of Glass, Molders, and Plastics (GMP) Local 220 (located in Axtell, Tex.), was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay $4,249, a $5,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment. On October 24, 2017, Baker pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling $8,310 from Local 220, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On January 11, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Kimberly Steinhoff, former Treasurer of Steelworkers Local 87 (located in Munising, Mich.), pleaded guilty to a superseding one-count information charging her with falsification of financial records required to be kept by a labor union, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
On January 10, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Angela Parrish-Wilson, former office manager for Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Workers Union (RWDSU) Joint Council 932 (located in Birmingham, Ala.), was sentenced to one month in prison and five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $38,057. On July 27, 2017, Parrish-Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and one count of bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1344. The sentencing follows an investigation conducted by the OLMS Tampa Resident Investigator Office.
On January 9, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, five individuals were indicted for Racketeering Conspiracy (18 U.S.C. 1962): Frank Cognetta, Secretary-Treasurer of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1D (located in Brooklyn, N.Y.), Vincent D’Acunto, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of UFCW Local 2D (located in Brooklyn, N.Y.), as well as Vincent Esposito, Steven Arena, and Frank Giovinco. Cognetta was also charged with Bribery in Connection with Employee Benefit Plans (18 U.S.C. 1954) and Honest Services Fraud (18 U.S.C. 1346). D’Acunto, Jr., Esposito, and Arena were also charged with Extortion Conspiracy (18 U.S.C. 1951). The indictment follows a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, SDNY, the FBI, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the NYPD.
On January 4, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Maria Nunez, former office secretary for International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) Local Lodge 1484 (located in Wilmington, Calif.), pleaded guilty to one count of false statements in records required to be maintained by a labor union, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
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* – Footnote:
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.
