CHRISTIAN LABOR UNION IND

Officials Sentenced

Office of Labor-Management Enforcement

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

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

Date	Description
December 9th, 2010	On December 9, 2010, in the United States District Court, Trenton, New Jersey, Shawn Clark, former Business Agent of Carpenters Local 455 (located in Somerville, N.J.), was sentenced to 28 months incarceration and three years supervised release. Clark was also ordered to make restitution for an amount between $72,000 and $102,000, which will be determined by the Honorable Judge Thompson. On May 17, 2010, in a trial held in the United States District Court, Trenton, New Jersey, jurors found Clark guilty on 15 counts of embezzling union funds and conspiracy to improperly spend Local 455s funds for his own personal use and the use of others during the approximate period between December 2000 and December 2007, in violation of LMRDA Section 501(c) and Title 18 U.S.C., Section 371. Clark used an American Express credit card issued to the union to make more than 450 charges totaling more than $65,000 at 14 different gentlemen's clubs in central New Jersey. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Newark Resident Investigator Office.
December 2nd, 2010	On December 2, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Dan Cassidy, former Clerk Craft Director of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 189 (located in Little Rock, Ark.), was sentenced to one year of probation, 40 hours of community service, and was ordered to pay a $200 assessment. On August 3, 2010, Cassidy pled guilty to wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343, a Class C Felony. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office and the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General.
October 6th, 2010	On October 6, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Lance Hinerman, former President of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 189 (located in Little Rock, AR), was sentenced to two years probation and a $200 assessment. On July 6, 2010, Hinerman pled guilty to wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343, a Class C Felony. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office and the United States Postal Service - Office of Inspector General.
September 28th, 2010	OnSeptember 28, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida,Anthony Green, former Vice President and Recording Secretary of Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics & Allied Workers (GMP) Local 208 (located in Bradenton, FL), was sentenced to probation for 24 months and 180 days of home confinement, and was ordered to pay Zurich North Americathe amount of $3,073.10 and a special assessment fee of $25.00.On July 12, 2010, Green pled guilty to making afalseentry in, or willfully concealing, withholding, or destroying any book, record, report or statement required to be kept under the LMRDA. Zurich North America paid a loss to GMP LU 208 as a result of Greens dishonest claim filed after his embezzlement. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMSTampa Resident Office.
September 24th, 2010	On September 24, 2010, in the U.S. District Court, District of Nevada, former Bookkeeper Cheryl Staley was sentenced to five years probation, during which time she is restricted from entering a casino without first notifying the U.S. Probation Office; ordered to attend gambling addiction classes; ordered to pay $231,653.89 in restitution, plus 10% interest at $200/month; and ordered to pay $200 in court assessments. In May 2010, Staley pled guilty to embezzling union funds and causing false entries in the LM reports filed by Local 501. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
September 14th, 2009	On September 14, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Richard M. Clark, former Secretary Treasurer of Letter Carriers Branch 468 (located in Bowling Green, Ky.), pled guilty to embezzling union funds totaling $18,680 and destruction of union records. Clark was then sentenced to three years probation and six months home confinement, and ordered to pay full restitution, a $2000 fine and a $125 special assessment. The plea and sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
September 14th, 2009	On September 14, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Richard M. Clark, former Secretary Treasurer of Letter Carriers Branch 468 (located in Bowling Green, Ky.), pled guilty to embezzling union funds totaling $18,680 and destruction of union records. Clark was then sentenced to three years probation and six months home confinement, and ordered to pay full restitution, a $2000 fine and a $125 special assessment. The plea and sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
August 18th, 2009	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. Fanning had previously made restitution in the amount of $6,342.15. On April 15, 2009, Fanningpled guilty to falsifying union records by submitting fraudulent expense claims in the same amount. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Buffalo District Office.
August 18th, 2009	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. Fanning had previously made restitution in the amount of $6,342.15. On April 15, 2009, Fanningpled guilty to falsifying union records by submitting fraudulent expense claims in the same amount. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Buffalo District Office.
August 11th, 2009	On August 11, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, Brian Brownlee, former Vice-President of American Postal Workers Union 2nd District (located in Hot Springs, Ark.), was sentenced to five years probation, with a special condition of home detention for the first six months, and ordered to pay restitution of $16,228.38 and a special assessment of $100. On June 8, 2009,Brownlee pled guilty to embezzling union funds in the amount of $16,221.30.Brownlee falsified travel vouchers, per diem, lodging, and lost time claims. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office.
August 11th, 2009	On August 11, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, Brian Brownlee, former Vice-President of American Postal Workers Union 2nd District (located in Hot Springs, Ark.), was sentenced to five years probation, with a special condition of home detention for the first six months, and ordered to pay restitution of $16,228.38 and a special assessment of $100. On June 8, 2009,Brownlee pled guilty to embezzling union funds in the amount of $16,221.30.Brownlee falsified travel vouchers, per diem, lodging, and lost time claims. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office.
March 30th, 2009	On March 30, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, Steven Snyder, former Financial Secretary of Steelworkers Local 5724 (located in Clarington, Ohio), was sentenced to five months incarceration after pleading guilty to embezzling $78,893.47 in union strike fund benefits. Also, Snyder was sentenced to an additional five months home confinement with electronic monitoring as part of three years supervised release.The sentencing follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office and the FBI.
March 30th, 2009	On March 30, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, Steven Snyder, former Financial Secretary of Steelworkers Local 5724 (located in Clarington, Ohio), was sentenced to five months incarceration after pleading guilty to embezzling $78,893.47 in union strike fund benefits. Also, Snyder was sentenced to an additional five months home confinement with electronic monitoring as part of three years supervised release.The sentencing follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office and the FBI.
August 4th, 2008	On August 4, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, Esau Faaitiiti and Arthur Clark, former President and Vice President, respectively, of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 12 (located in San Diego, Calif.), were sentenced to five years probation and 60 hours community service, ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and a $25 penalty assessment. Also, Faaitiiti and Clark were ordered to make joint restitution totaling $22,124.28, with Clark ordered to make additional restitution in the amount of $10,865. On March 20, 2008, Faaitiiti and Clark pled guilty to making false statements. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
August 15th, 2007	On August 15, 2007, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Claudia R. Thompson, former President of PACE (now Steelworkers) Local 513, was sentenced to one year of probation, ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $26,201.68, and ordered to attend a substance abuse program. On May 15, 2007, Thompson pled guilty to one count of willfully making false entries in financial records to conceal her embezzlement of union funds in the same amount. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.[Related documents: HTML | PDF]
June 27th, 2007	On June 27, 2007, in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, Maria Clayton, former Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Glass Molders Plastics Local 236A, was sentenced to six years probation, which includes three months of home confinement. Clayton was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $41,126 and continue counseling. On December 5, 2006, Clayton pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office.
June 22nd, 2007	On June 22, 2007, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Willie Dell Clark, former Treasurer of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 36, was ordered to serve 180 days of home confinement, monitored by an electronic bracelet; followed by a three-year probationary sentence including mandatory community service of 250 hours. Clark was also ordered to make restitution in the amount of $69,095.60, and to pay an assessment of $100. On July 1, 2004, Clark pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the same amount. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office.
June 5th, 2007	On June 5, 2007, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, James A. Pulsifer, a certified public accountant, was sentenced to 1 year probation and a $1000 fine for making a false representation of a material fact. In the course of making accounting adjustments, Pulsifer misclassified expenditures by approximately $500,000 when he prepared the Form LM-2 for the Seattle-based Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA). SPEEA officers who signed the report believed that it was free of errors and in compliance with Department of Labor regulations. On February 20, 2007, Pulsifer pled guilty to knowingly making a false statement or representation of a material fact in a report required to be filed with the United States Department of Labor. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office.
April 24th, 2007	On April 24, 2007, in the Justice Court of Las Vegas Township for Clark County, Nevada, Tiffany Stone [aka Tiffany Huntsman], former dues clerk of Sheet Metal Workers Local 88, was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,000. On February 21, 2007, Stone pled guilty to one count of theft of union funds in the amount of $10,540. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Las Vegas Resident Investigator Office and the Las Vegas Office of the Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General.
September 21st, 2005	On September 21, 2005, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Joseph Calcagno, former Business Manager/Secretary Treasurer of Laborers Local 1162, was sentenced to two years probation for making false entries in the financial books and records of Local 1162. Calcagno was also ordered to make restitution of $66,632 to the union for improper expenses that were claimed by Calcagno while employed by the union. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston District Office.
September 5th, 2003	On September 5, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Neil Babineaux, former assistant to the assistant vice president of the United Transportation Union, pled guilty to a charge of criminal contempt. He had been indicted on April 3, 2003, on charges of obstruction of justice and making false declarations to a federal grand jury. Following the guilty plea, Babineaux was sentenced to six months home confinement, two years probation and a $3,000 fine. These charges follow a joint investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office, the Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General and the FBI.
May 9th, 2003	On May 9, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Clyde Howard Starkey, former member of Laborers Local 177, was sentenced to six months imprisonment, three years probation, and ordered to make restitution of $28,905. Starkey was indicted on November 20, 2002 and on January 16, 2003, he pled guilty to conspiring to embezzle union funds. Specifically, Starkey received and cashed $28,905 in union checks (to which he had no legitimate claim) and returned a portion of the proceeds to former Local 177 Business Manager Fred Risius. Risius is currently serving fifteen months in the penitentiary for embezzling in excess of $100,000 from the local. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office. [Related documents: HTML | PDF]
December 11th, 2002	On December 11, 2002, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, embezzlement and conspiracy charges were dismissed against LeRoy Worley, former general secretary of the Iron Workers. Federal prosecutors decided not to seek a new trial after a jury's failure to reach a verdict caused a mistrial to be declared on November 15, 2002. Worley and former Iron Workers President Jake West were the subjects of a superceding indictment handed down by a federal grand jury on August 7, 2002, that accused both men of funneling illegal payments to Worley, totaling more than $217,000, from the union pension plan for salary and expenses after Worley retired. The indictment also listed more than $37,000 for a pension that Worley was not entitled to receive. West pled guilty on October 25, 2002, to one count of embezzling from an employee pension benefit fund and one count of making a material false statement in exchange for the remaining charges against him being dropped after sentencing. The charges had been brought following a joint investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office, the FBI, and the Department of Labor's Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration.
August 29th, 2002	On August 29, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, Lenette Kendrick, former secretary-treasurer of the Rural Letter Carriers in Clallam and Jefferson Counties, was sentenced to two years probation, fined $500, and ordered to pay the balance of $212 in restitution for the falsification of the union's annual financial report. Kendrick pled guilty on June 20, 2002, following an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office.
August 7th, 2002	On August 7, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Robert Shannon, former executive board member/trustee of Elevator Constructors Local One, was sentenced to 400 hours of community service and three years probation, fined $5,000, and ordered to make restitution of $5,107. He had pled guilty to Unlawful Labor Payments in violation of 29 U.S.C. 186. The plea was in connection with the investigation of corruption in Local One relating to a no-show scheme at 19 construction sites in New York City. Union officials acquired money by falsely claiming that certain union members had worked certain hours, when in reality they had not, and in many cases were actually working at other construction sites. The charges had been brought following a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, the FBI, and the IRS.
November 30th, 2001	On November 30, 2001, Judge Robert W. Curran of the Circuit Court for the City of Newport News, Virginia, accepted a plea agreement from Stanley Coppedge, former grievance person for Steelworkers Local 8888. Mr. Coppedge pled guilty to petty larceny, a Class 1 misdemeanor, in violation of Virginia Code 18.2-178 (obtaining money or property by false pretenses). He was sentenced to one year incarceration, suspended as long as he remains in good behavior and makes restitution of $13,761.67. The charges had been brought on July 9, 2001, following an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
November 20th, 2001	On November 20, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, Barclay Grayson, the former president of Capital Consultants, LLC, was sentenced to 24 months in prison and three years probation. He had pled guilty on March 19, 2001, to mail fraud following an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office, the IRS, the FBI, the Department of Labor's Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, and the Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General.

© 2013 Center for Union Facts | All Rights Reserved