On March 17, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Don C. Padgett, former secretary treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1304 (located in Greenville, Ill.), was indicted for one count of mail fraud relating to an embezzlement of $186,997. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco District Office. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia District Office. Any negative publicity is a tremendous blow to a union. The plea and sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office. Shingler was charged with taking union funds in the amount of $2,572. He was further ordered to pay a $20,000 fine and restitution in the amount of $191,292 to the Texas Education Agency (TEA). ), with one count of larceny over $250 for embezzling $7,696 from the two locals. On September 15, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Sonia McGuire, former treasurer of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 3434 located in Decatur, Ga.), was indicted for embezzling union funds, between January 15, 2005 and April 28, 2008, in excess of $15,000. An OLMS investigation concluded that Elsezy created and cashed checks, drawn from the unions bank account, for personal use, affixed the signature stamps of the President and Treasurer, altered the name of the payees in the union's accounting system, and removed checks from the union's records to conceal the true beneficiary of the funds. HOUSTON The former superintendent of Houston Gateway Academy has been ordered to federal prison after taking more than a million dollars, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery. The plea follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office and the Department of Labors Office of Inspector General. As in all criminal cases, each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Casesinvolved unions representing nurses, aerospace engineers, firefighters, teachers, film and TV artists, air traffic controllers, musicians, bus inspectors, bakery workers, roofers, postal workers, machinists, ironworkers,steelworkers, dairy workers, plasterers, train operators, plumbers, stagehands, engineers, electricians, heat insulators, missile range workers andbricklayers. The sentencing follows a joint investigation of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1181 (the primary union that represents drivers for school bus companies in New York City) as well as the New York City school bus industry by the OLMS New York District Office, Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General, and the FBI. The Sacramento Bee first reported the charges and her resignation. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office. 609-566-9686. In November 2002, Kupau was convicted of money laundering. On September 28, 2009, in the 52nd Judicial Circuit Court of Huron County (Mich.), Christine Pawlowski, former Financial Secretary of Auto Workers Local 812 (located in Harbor Beach, Mich.), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement of $1,000 or more but less than $20,000. On August 27, September 1, September 3, 2009 and September 29, 2009 Robert Walston, Richard Lopez, Thaddeus Bania, Cassandra Mosley, David Rodriguez and Mark Jones, former President , Recording-Secretary, Comptroller, Business Agent, Organizer, and Head Organizer of Teamsters Local 743 Walston was sentenced to 57 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release. ), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $18,100. On June 19, 2009, in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, LaRose Elsezy, former bookkeeper of AFGE Local 1923 (located in Baltimore, Md. ), pled guilty to one count of theft in a special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. On August 18, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York Norma Fanning, former Treasurer of Steelworkers Local 503 (located in Ogdensburg, N.Y.) was sentenced to one-year probation, 100 hours of community service and fined $1,000. A former executive director of the Hawaii Painting & Decorating Contractors Association pleaded guilty in May 2016 to embezzling approximately $1,483,800 from the Hawaii Painters Trade Promotion & Charity Fund, which comes out of the hourly wages of Painters District Council 50 in Honolulu. On August 25, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Linda Tickle, former employee of Machinist Local 56 and Machinists Local 1458 (located in Chattanooga, Tenn.), was indicted on two counts of embezzling union funds in the amount of $30,173.27. On September 2, 2009, Witham pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the same amount. Law enforcement officials said less-qualified people tend to end up in union finance roles because they're often elected based on popularity rather than qualification. On July 30, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Michael Kelly, former Secretary-Treasurer for the United Transportation Union (UTU) Local 586 (located in Crestline, Ohio), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $97,970.71. Free Press staff writer Eric D. Lawrence contributed to this report. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office. The sentencing follows an investigation by the St. Louis District Office. On August 21, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Western District of New York, Thomas Pokrywczynski, former Treasurer of the Transit Unions New York State Legislative Conference Board and former Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Transit Union Local 1342 (located in Buffalo, N.Y.), was charged with embezzling $277,548.72 from the two labor organizations between January 2002 and March 2008. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Kansas City Resident Investigator Office. Acosta is accused ofpermittingineligible participants to remain on the union's health care plan. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office. OLMS found that, from July 2018 to August 2019, Burkhart embezzled union funds by writing approximately 43 unauthorized checks to himself, resulting in a loss of $19,900 to the local union while he served as president of Steelworkers Local 145, located in Henryetta, Oklahoma, from 2014 through 2019. On September 4, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Don C. Padgett, former secretary treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1304 (located in Greenville, Ill.), was sentenced to 21 months in prison for one count of mail fraud relating to an embezzlement of $185,042. On June 15, 2009, Lei-Petersen pled guilty to embezzling union funds in the amount of $86,116. On May 13, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Steve Pfeiffer, former Secretary/Treasurer of IATSE Local 60 (located in Pensacola, Fla.), pled guilty to embezzling union funds in the amount of $12,051. Contact the Law Of Read this blog to learn more about felony offenses in New Jersey and how the courts determine the se 2023 Law Office of Douglas Herring. Public File for KBCW-TV / KBCW 44 Cable 12. A former labor union president was sentenced in federal court for embezzling close to $20,000 from the union, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. On May 1, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Thaddeus Bania, Richard Lopez and David Rodriguez, former comptroller, Secretary Treasurer and Recording Secretary, and organizer, respectively, of Teamsters Local 743 (located in Chicago, Ill.), were convicted on numerous counts arising from multiple schemes involving the locals voided October 2004 regular election of officers and a rerun election that was held in December 2004. We are upset and outraged with this notification (the day after school ends). WebFord was ordered to pay $174,100 in restitution and a $125 special assessment. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office. October 13, 2021 / 2:43 PM Many times, the embezzlement has been going on for years before discovery. On September 24, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Alejandro Stephens, former President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 660 (now Local 721) (located in Los Angeles, Calif.), pled guilty to two counts of mail fraud in connection with income fraudulently received from the Voter Improvement Program of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, and one count of filing a false tax return related to his failure to report $35,000 fraudulently received from this fund. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office. On June 29, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Anne ORourke, former office secretary of Roofers Local 37 (located in Pittsburgh, Pa.), pled guilty to a two-count indictment for embezzling union funds in the amount of $23,057 and falsifying union records. Additionally, Luna was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $67,416.21 and a $100 assessment. He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $6,824.30 and a special assessment of $100.00. FBI plants bull's-eye on GM, Ford as UAW scandal widens. Contact Phoebe Wall Howard:313-222-6512 or phoward@freepress.com. They were convicted of stealing 1,072,660 dollars from the union that they used to purchase toys, shoes, clothing, food, gas, entertainment expenses, and home improvement products. As in all criminal cases, each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Theplea and charge follow an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.