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Union Facts

Laborers

Guilty Pleas

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.

DateDescription
February 22nd, 2023On February 22, 2023, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Matthew Archer, former Secretary-Treasurer of Laborers Local 1325 (formerly located in Indianapolis, Ind.), pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud for embezzling $91,951 in union funds and filing false LM reports, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343. He was then sentenced to five years of probation and 50 hours of community service. He was ordered to pay $84,462 in restitution and a $200 special assessment. Archer previously paid $9,489 in restitution. The guilty plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
October 14th, 2021On October 14, 2021, 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 (LIUNA), located in Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by 12 months of supervised probation. He was also ordered to pay $155,638 in restitution. On November 20, 2018, Bennett pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). Additionally, on July 30, 2021, Bennett was found guilty after a jury trial of one count of health care fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1347. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office, the Department of Labors Office of Inspector General, and the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
July 30th, 2021On July 30, 2021, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Roderick Marvin Bennett, former Chief of Staff for the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA), located in Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury following a five-day trial of one count of health care fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1347. The guilty verdict is the result of Bennett arranging union employee health plan coverage for his girlfriend, who was never a union employee and not eligible to participate in the plan. Bennett was the LIUNA Chief of Staff for approximately four years until October 2016. The current conviction is in addition to Bennetts January 2018 guilty plea to three counts of theft from a labor organization stemming from his unauthorized personal purchases exceeding $150,000 on his LIUNA-issued credit card. The guilty verdict follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office, Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Department of Labors Office of Inspector General.
October 15th, 2020On October 15, 2020, in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Rick E. Drain, former business manager for Laborers Local 1085 (located in Parkersburg, W.Va.), was sentenced to one year and one day in prison and one year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $59,181 in restitution and a $100 assessment. Drain previously paid $50,281 in restitution. On July 13, 2020, Drain pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $50,281, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
September 22nd, 2020On September 22, 2020, in the Marion County, Indiana Superior Court, Misty Fain, former office manager for Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 120 (located in Indianapolis, Ind.), pleaded guilty to three counts of theft of union funds with a value of at least $750 and less than $50,000, in violation of I.C. 35-43-4-2(a) and I.C. 35-43-4-2(a)(1)(A). Fain was then sentenced to one year in prison (suspended) and one year of probation. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,000. The plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
July 13th, 2020On July 13, 2020, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Rick E. Drain, former business manager for Laborers Local 1085 (located in Parkersburg, W.Va.), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $50,281, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
December 9th, 2019On December 9, 2019, in the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii, Rodney Capello, former business manager for Laborers Local 722 - Hawaii Electrical Workers (located in Honolulu, Hawaii), was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release, and he was ordered to pay $184,771 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. On August 14, 2019, Capello pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling union funds totaling $184,771, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Honolulu Resident Office.
November 4th, 2019On November 4, 2019, in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, Mitchell Sharp, former organizer of Laborers DC Southwest Indian Health Services (located in Phoenix, Ariz.), was sentenced to 36 months of supervised release and ordered to pay $6,373.44 in restitution and a $25 fine. On August 23, 2019, Sharp pled guilty to Theft Within Indian Country, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Sections 1153 and 661. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
October 25th, 2019On October 25, 2019, in the 78th District Court of Wichita County, Texas, Terri Rae Coan (Merritt), former office manager for Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 1168 (located in Wichita Falls, Tex.), pleaded guilty to misapplication of fiduciary property with a value between $30,000 or more but less than $150,000, in violation of Texas Penal Code 32.45. Coan was then sentenced to 10 years of probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $42,636. The plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
October 18th, 2019On October 18, 2019, in the 30th District Court of Wichita County, Texas, Orville Lynn Merritt, former business manager for Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 1168 (located in Wichita Falls, Tex.), pled guilty to misapplication of fiduciary property with a value between $30,000 or more but less than $150,000, in violation of Texas Penal Code 32.45. Merritt was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay $279 in court costs. The plea and sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
October 10th, 2019On October 10, 2019, in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire, Dennis Robertson, former business manager for Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 668 (located in Hooksett, N.H.), was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay $37,897 in restitution. On June 25, 2019, Robertson pleaded guilty to embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office.
August 23rd, 2019On August 23, 2019, in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, Mitchell Sharp, former organizer for Laborers DC Southwest Indian Health Services (located in Phoenix, Ariz.), was charged and pleaded guilty to a one-count information with theft within Indian country, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 661 & 1153. Sharp used the unionÄôs credit card to charge personal expenses in excess of $1,000. The charge and guilty plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
August 14th, 2019On August 14, 2019, in the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii, Rodney Capello, former business manager for Laborers Local 722 - Hawaii Electrical Workers (located in Honolulu, Hawaii), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling union funds totaling $184,771, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Honolulu Resident Office.
November 18th, 2018On 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 unionÄôs 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 LaborÄôs Office of Inspector General.
November 7th, 2018On 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.
August 21st, 2017On August 21, 2017, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, Edward Padilla, former Secretary-Treasurer/Business Manager of Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 220 (located in Bakersfield, Calif.), was sentenced to 21 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. Padilla was also ordered to pay $168,780 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. On March 27, 2017, Padilla pled guilty to embezzling $168,780 from the union, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
July 17th, 2017On July 17, 2017, in the United States District Court for the District of Idaho, Ashley Cline, former office manager for Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 155 (located in Idaho Falls, Idaho), was sentenced to four years of federal probation and she was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $30,776 and a $1,000 fine. On January 25, 2017, Cline pled guilty to a single count of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.
March 27th, 2017On March 27, 2017, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, Edward Padilla, former Secretary-Treasurer/Business Manager of Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 220 (located in Bakersfield, Calif.), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds totaling $168,780, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
February 8th, 2017On February 8, 2017, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Christopher Kwegan, a contractor associated with Laborers Local 657 (located in Washington, D.C.), was sentenced to three years in prison, three years of probation, and 120 hours of community service. He was also ordered to pay $1,632,000 in restitution. On November 1, 2016, Kwegan pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit embezzlement from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and 18 U.S.C. 371; one count of conspiracy to accept unlawful labor payments, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 186(b) and 18 U.S.C. 371; one count of conspiracy to commit wire and honest services fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1341, 18 U.S.C. 1346, and 18 U.S.C. 371; and 39 counts of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1957. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office, the FBI, and the Department of LaborÄôs Office of Inspector General.
February 7th, 2017On February 7, 2017, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Anthony Frederick, former business manager for Laborers Local 657 (located in Washington, D.C.), was sentenced to four years in prison, three years of probation, and 120 hours of community service. Frederick was also ordered to pay $1,632,000 in restitution. On October 31, 2016, Frederick pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to embezzle money from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and 18 U.S.C. 371; one count of conspiracy to receive unlawful labor payments in violation of 29 U.S.C. 186 and 18 U.S.C. 371; one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343 and 18 U.S.C. 371; and one count of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1957. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office, the FBI, and the Department of LaborÄôs Office of Inspector General.
January 25th, 2017On January 25, 2017, in the United States District Court for the District of Idaho, Ashley Cline, former office manager for Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 155 (located in Idaho Falls, Idaho), was indicted and pled guilty to one count of embezzling over $37,000 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing is scheduled for April 20, 2017. The charge and guilty plea follow an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco - Seattle District Office.
November 22nd, 2016On November 22, 2016, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, after a one week trial, a jury found Gary Cooper, a contractor associated with Laborers Local 657 (located in Washington, D.C.), guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit embezzlement from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and 18 U.S.C. 371; one count of conspiracy to accept unlawful labor payments, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 186(b) and 18 U.S.C. 371; one count of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343; and two counts of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1957. The scheme for which Cooper was found guilty involved $1.73 million in checks written from Laborers Local 657 to STS Construction, a company co-owned by Cooper, for minimal work done on union buildings. STS Construction then put a $225,000 down payment on a house for the Local 657 business manager, wrote the business manager a check for $8,000, and transferred $624,000 to a business that was co-owned by the business managerÄôs wife. The guilty verdict is the result of an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office, the FBI, and the Department of LaborÄôs Office of Inspector General.
November 1st, 2016On November 1, 2016, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Christopher Kwegan, a contractor associated with Laborers Local 657 (located in Washington, D.C.), pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit embezzlement from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and 18 U.S.C. 371; one count of conspiracy to accept unlawful labor payments, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 186(b) and 18 U.S.C. 371; one count of conspiracy to commit wire and honest services fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1341, 18 U.S.C. 1346, and 18 U.S.C. 371; and 39 counts of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1957. In pleading guilty, Kwegan admitted that $1.73 million in checks were written from Laborers Local 657 to STS Construction, a company co-owned by Kwegan, for minimal work done on union buildings. STS Construction then put a $225,000 down payment on a house for the Local 657 business manager, wrote the business manager a check for $8,000, and transferred $624,000 to a business that was co-owned by the business managerÄôs wife. The guilty plea is the result of an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office, the FBI, and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
October 31st, 2016On October 31, 2016, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Anthony Frederick, former business manager for Laborers Local 657 (located in Washington, D.C.), pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to embezzle money from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and 18 U.S.C. 371; one count of conspiracy to receive unlawful labor payments, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 186 and 18 U.S.C. 371; one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343 and 18 U.S.C. 371; and one count of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1957. Frederick directed more than $1.7 million in Local 657 funds to a contractor without the knowledge or authorization of the Local 657 executive board or international union. The contractor then made payments to Frederick with the stolen funds including a $225,000 down payment on a home that Frederick purchased, construction of a garage on the property, and directed more than $600,000 to a corporation owned in part by FrederickÄôs wife. The guilty plea is the result of an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office, the FBI, and the Department of LaborÄôs Office of Inspector General.
March 4th, 2016On March 4, 2016, in the Superior Court of Arizona (Maricopa County), Therlen Benally, former Treasurer of Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 1386 (located in Phoenix, Ariz.), was sentenced to three years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution of $1,220 and fees/assessments totaling $215. On January 22, 2016, Benally pled guilty to facilitation of fraudulent schemes or artifices, in violation of Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) 13-2310 and 13-1004; theft, in violation of A.R.S. 13-1802; and criminal possession of a forgery device, in violation of A.R.S. 13-2003(A)(1). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Phoenix Resident Investigator Office.
February 4th, 2016On February 4, 2016, in the Superior Court of Arizona (Maricopa County), Anne Susan, former business manager of Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 1386 (located in Phoenix, Ariz.), was sentenced to three years of probation and was ordered to pay $18,056 in restitution. On January 4, 2016, Susan pled guilty to theft, taking the identity of another, and forgery, in violation of Arizona Revised Statutes 13-1802, 13-2008, and 13-2002, respectively. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Phoenix Resident Investigator Office.
January 22nd, 2016On January 22, 2016, in the Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, Arizona, Therlen Benally, former Treasurer of Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 1386 (located in Phoenix, Ariz.), pled guilty to Facilitation of Fraudulent Schemes or Artifices, in violation of Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) 13-2310 and 13-1004; Theft, in violation of A.R.S. 13-1802; and Criminal Possession of a Forgery Device, in violation of A.R.S. 13-2003(A)(1), all Class 6 undesignated felonies. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Phoenix Resident Investigator Office.
January 7th, 2016On January 7, 2016, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Carolyn Hall, bookkeeper for Laborers Local 1197 (located in McLeansboro, Ill.), was sentenced to two years of probation and was ordered to pay a $100 assessment. Hall previously paid restitution in full. On August 7, 2015, Hall pled guilty to one count of embezzling $26,291 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
January 4th, 2016On January 4, 2016, in the Maricopa County Superior Court of Arizona, Anne Susan, former business manager of Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 1386 (located in Phoenix, Ariz.), pled guilty to theft, taking the identity of another, and forgery, in violation of Arizona Revised Statutes 13-1802, 13-2008, and 13-2002, respectively. The sentencing is scheduled for February 4, 2016. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Phoenix Resident Investigative Office.
November 20th, 2015On November 20, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, Michael Low, former Treasurer of Laborers Local 2097 (located in Oklahoma City, Okla.), was sentenced to three years of probation, 18 days incarceration, and 104 hours of community service, and he was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and a $100 special assessment. Low previously paid full restitution. On March 26, 2015, Low was charged and pled guilty to one count of false statements to a federal agency, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001, for embezzling union funds in the amount of $12,937. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
August 7th, 2015On August 7, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Carolyn Hall, bookkeeper for Laborers Local 1197 (located in McLeansboro, Ill.), pled guilty to embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). On April 23, 2015, Hall was indicted for one count of embezzling $26,491 in union funds. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
June 9th, 2015On June 9, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Sergio Rascon, Jr., former bookkeeper assistant for Laborers Local 300 (located in Los Angeles, Calif.), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $2,417, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
March 26th, 2015On March 26, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, Michael Low, former Secretary Treasurer of Laborers Local 2097 (located in Oklahoma City, Okla.), was charged and pled guilty to a one-count information of making a false statement to a federal agency, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001, for embezzling union funds in the amount of $12,937. The charge and plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
June 9th, 2014On June 9, 2014, in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada,​ ​Aurora Rios, former cashier for Laborers Local 872 (located in Las Vegas, Nev.), was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, six months of home confinement, and three years supervised release. Rios was also ordered to pay $11,500 in restitution and $2,175 in fines. On April 28, 2010, Rios was charged with 21 counts of embezzling approximately $167,500 and three counts of falsifying union records. She pled guilty on April 10, 2012. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
April 1st, 2013On April 1, 2013, Grace Rathke, former office manager for Laborers Local 32 in Rockford, Illinois, was sentenced to 17 months of incarceration, three years of probation, and was ordered to pay full restitution of $204,836. In January 2013, Rathke pled guilty to embezzling union funds. The investigation found that between November 2004 and March 2009, Rathke stole money that the union members paid in cash and falsified records to conceal the theft. This investigation was conducted jointly with the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
January 7th, 2013On January 7, 2013, in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, Aundrea Valerio, former dispatcher for Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 872 (located in Las Vegas, Nev.), was sentenced to six months of home confinement, five years of probation, and was ordered to pay $13,000 in restitution. On September 19, 2012, Valerio pled guilty to two counts of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and two counts of falsifying union records, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
January 3rd, 2013On January 3, 2013, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Grace Rathke, former office manager for Laborers Local 32 (located in Rockford, Ill.), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds totaling over $190,000, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). On August 2, 2011, Rathke was indicated on 10 counts of embezzling approximately $200,000 in union funds beginning in November 2004 and continuing until March 2009. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
September 19th, 2012On September 19, 2012, in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, Aundrea Valerio, former dispatcher for Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 872 (located in Las Vegas, Nev.), pled guilty to two counts of embezzlement of labor union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and two counts of falsifying union records, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The guilty plea stems from a $320,000 embezzlement scheme involving Valerio and two other former union employees who were also charged and convicted separately. On April 28, 2010, Valerio was charged with embezzling approximately $13,500. Valerio is scheduled to be sentenced in January 2013. The plea follows an investigation by OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
August 23rd, 2012On August 23, 2012, in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, Stacy Johnson, former cashier for Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 872 (located in Las Vegas, Nev.), was sentenced to one year and one day in prison for embezzling funds from a labor union, in violation of 29 U.S.C 501(c), and one year in prison for falsifying union records, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c), to be served concurrently. Johnson will be on supervised release for one year following her release. Johnson was also ordered her to pay $53,500 in restitution. On April 4, 2012, a jury found Johnson guilty following a trial. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
April 10th, 2012On April 10, 2012, in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, Aurora Rios, former cashier for Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 872 (located in Las Vegas, Nev.), pled guilty to 21 counts of embezzlement and three counts of falsifying union records. The guilty plea stems from a $320,000 embezzlement from the local involving Rios and two other former employees of the local, each of whom were charged and tried separately. On April 28, 2010, Rios was charged with embezzling approximately $167,500. Rios is scheduled to be sentenced in August 2012. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
April 4th, 2012On April 4, 2012, in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, Stacy Johnson, former cashier for Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 872 (located in Las Vegas, Nev.), was found guilty by a jury of 12 counts of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and three counts of falsifying records union records, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The trial stemmed from a $320,000 embezzlement from the local involving Johnson and two other former local employees, each of whom are being tried separately. On April 28, 2010, Johnson was charged with embezzling approximately $45,500. Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced in August 2012. The verdict follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
January 19th, 2012On January 19, 2012, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Joseph Pavone, former President of Laborers Local 560 (located in Waltham, Mass.), was sentenced to two years of probation and was ordered to pay $6,466 in restitution and a $1,000 fine. On October 19, 2011, Pavone pled guilty to three counts of receipt of an unlawful labor payment, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 186. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
October 19th, 2011On October 19, 2011, in the United States District Court of Massachusetts, Joseph Pavone, former President of Laborers Local 560 (located in Waltham, Mass.), pled guilty to three counts of receiving unlawful labor payments in the amount of $6,466.80, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 186(b)(1) and (d)(2). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
October 7th, 2011On October 7, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Mark Winston, former business manager for Laborers Local 509 (located in St. Louis, Mo.), was sentenced to five months home confinement, five years probation, and 100 hours of community service. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $11,557 and a $100 fine. On June 30, 2011, Winston 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 St. Louis District Office.
January 14th, 2011On January 14, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, Donna Cooper, former Business Manager for Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 888 (located in Tahlequah, Okla.), was sentenced to five months incarceration followed by 36 months of supervised release, with the first five months as home detention. Cooper was ordered to pay over $59,000 in restitution. On July 15, 2010, Cooper pled guilty to embezzling union funds in the amount of $69,322. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office.
September 2nd, 2010On September 2, 2010, in the Superior Court of Washington County, Washington, Elizabeth Mills, former office manager of Laborers Local 901 (located in Mount Vernon, Wash), was sentenced to 20 days of incarceration and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,721. On June 18, 2010, Mills pled guilty to theft of union funds in the same amount. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office.
May 20th, 2010On May 20, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Gary Day, former Field Representative of Laborers Local 1180 (located in Harrisburg, Pa.), was sentenced to three years probation and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount $10,518.00 and a special assessment of $100.00. On January 22, 2010, Day pled guilty to an information charging him with embezzling union funds in the amount of $10,518.00. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia District Office.
August 24th, 2009On August 24, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Steven Thomas, former Business Manager for Laborers Local 500 (located in Toledo, Ohio) was sentenced to five years probation with three months of location monitoring and 250 hours of community service. Thomas was also ordered to make outstanding restitution totaling $14,324.84. On May 11, 2009, Thomas pled guilty to one count of embezzling approximately $28,500 in union funds. The sentencing follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office, Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General, and the FBI.
August 18th, 2009On August 18, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, David Lee Tungett, former organizer for the Kentucky Laborers District Council (located in Lawrenceburg, Ky.), pled guilty to one count of destruction of union records. On August 10, 2009, Tungett was charged in an information with one count of destruction of union records. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
June 17th, 2009On June 17, 2009, in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, Rhonda Holmes, former Secretary-Treasurer of Laborers Local 481 (located in Baltimore, Md.), pled guilty to one count of stealing union funds in the amount of $6,350. Subsequently, Holmes was sentenced to five years in prison, suspended, five years of probation, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $6,350. The plea and sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
October 2nd, 2008On October 2, 2008 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Thomas Leonard, former Recording Secretary of Laborers Local 500 (located in Toledo, Ohio), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $4,386. The plea follows a joint investigation conducted by the OLMS Cleveland District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
April 29th, 2008On April 29, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Western District of New York, Mary Hartsock, former office manager of Laborers Local 1358 (located in Elmira Heights, N.Y.), was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $17,958. On October 29, 2007, Hartsock pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the same amount. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Buffalo District Office.
April 9th, 2008On April 9, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Linda Leonard, former office secretary of Laborers Local 216 (located in Dayton, Ohio), was sentenced to two years supervised probation for making false entries in union records. Leonard was also ordered to pay $5,213 in restitution. On January 16, 2008, Leonard pled guilty to one count of making false entries in union records. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
October 29th, 2007On October 29, 2007, in the United States District Court for the Western District of New York, Mary Hartsock, former office manager of Laborers Local 1358 in Elmira, NY, pled guilty to embezzling funds of a labor organization. Hartsock admitted to taking $17,958 in receipts from the local between January 2002 and January 2007. This plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Buffalo District Office.
April 14th, 2006On April 14, 2006, in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, Deann Schnepple, former bookkeeper for the Laborers District Council of Oregon, Southern Idaho, and Wyoming (OIWDC), pled guilty to a one-count information charging her with embezzling $44,758 in OIWDC funds. Sentencing has been set for June 2006. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office.
December 16th, 2005On December 16, 2005, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Joseph Rocha, former Business-Manager/Secretary-Treasurer for Laborers Local 1082, pled guilty to two counts of embezzling union funds in the amount of $2,700. Sentencing is set for February 27, 2006. The guilty plea follows a joint investigation by the Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General and the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
August 2nd, 2005On August 2, 2005, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Mario Garafola, an organized crime associate, was sentenced to three years imprisonment and was ordered to pay $30,000 in forfeiture to the United States Government and $1.9 million in restitution. Garafola previously pled guilty to charges filed in an indictment involving conspiracy to commit Mail Fraud, Paying Money from an Employer to a Representative of Employees; Committing Money Laundering; Obstructing Justice by Tampering with a Witness; Obstructing Justice by Withholding Documents from a Grand Jury; and Embezzling Moneys of Employee Benefit Plans. The labor corruption scheme concerning the New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority's Building at 2 Broadway involved multiple unions including Elevator Constructors Local One, Operating Engineers Local 14, and Laborers Local 79. On June 20, 2005, in the same court, Laborers Local 79 Business Agent Junior Campbell was sentenced to probation as a result of his guilty plea to charges of making false statements. Also on June 20, 2005, Richard Calaboro was sentenced to five months imprisonment and ordered to pay $8,626 in restitution. Calaboro was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice based on his false testimony before the grand jury regarding the no-show job obtained by Mario Garafola at Building Core Construction. This investigation was conducted jointly by the OLMS New York District Office and the FBI.
February 11th, 2005On February 11, 2005, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Brian K. Payne, former office manager of Local 1392, Laborers, was sentenced for embezzling union funds. The sentence consisted of one month home incarceration with electronic monitoring, and three years probation with random drug testing, evaluation, and counseling. Payne was also ordered to pay a $100 court assessment; he had previously made restitution in the amount of $6,605. On October 18, 2004, Payne pled guilty to the charge following an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
October 18th, 2004On October 18, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Brian Payne, former office manager of Laborers Local 1392, pled guilty to embezzling $6,665 in union funds. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
October 1st, 2004On October 1, 2004, in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska, the Court denied a motion filed by Leonard J. Schaefer, former secretary-treasurer of Laborers Local 1140, to reduce the LMRDA section 504 thirteen-year bar on holding union office or employment. He filed the motion to reduce the thirteen-year bar less than a year before it terminates under the statute. The 13-year bar results from his guilty plea to one count of making false statements on January 7, 1992, following an investigation by the OLMS Kansas City Resident Investigator's Office.
September 15th, 2004On September 15, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, a superceding indictment was filed against four individuals for their criminal involvement in the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) 2 Broadway Project. Junior Campbell, a Business Agent of Laborers Local 79; Edward Garafola, a soldier in the Gambino crime family; Mario Garafola, an associate of the Gambino family; and Richard Calabro, Mario Garafola's brother-in-law, were all charged with multiple crimes. The crimes charged in the indictment included RICO, money laundering, extortion, obstruction of justice, mail fraud, perjury, unlawful labor payments, and embezzlement of employee benefit funds. The indictment estimated a monetary loss for the project in "excess" of $10 million. In addition, the guilty plea of Frederick Contini, the project developer, was unsealed. Elevator Constructors Local One, Operating Engineers Local 14, and Laborers Local 79 are involved in this ongoing joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office and the FBI.
June 22nd, 2004On June 22, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Daniel F. Kearney, former secretary-treasurer of Laborers Local 79, pled guilty to embezzling union funds. Also, he admitted to forging the signature of another officer on union checks and filing false and misleading Form LM-2 reports. Kearney has made full restitution in the amount of $149,330.12. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office.
May 13th, 2004On May 13, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, Jennifer Phillips, former office secretary for Laborers Local 1073, was sentenced to five months home confinement followed by three years probation for embezzlement. Phillips was also ordered to pay a special court assessment of $100.00 and to make restitution of $35,040.96 in 36 monthly payments of $973.36. She was indicted on November 21, 2003, and pled guilty on February 17, 2004, following an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office.
February 17th, 2004On February 17, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, Jennifer L. Phillips, former office secretary for Laborers Local 1073, pled guilty to one count of a 27-count indictment charging her with embezzling $34,427.74 in union funds. Phillips was charged on November 21, 2003. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office.
September 16th, 2003On September 16, 2003, in the District Court for St. Louis County (Minnesota), Thomas Pender, former business manager and financial secretary of Laborers Local 1097, pled guilty to one count of felony theft. On April 7, 2003, Pender had been charged with one count of theft of $7,000 in union funds and one count of financial transaction card fraud involving $167 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
July 2nd, 2003On July 2, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Joleen Coughlon, former office secretary of Laborers Local 177, was sentenced to four years probation and ordered to pay $6,445 in restitution. Coughlon had previously pled guilty on March 27, 2003, to embezzling union funds and making a false entry in union records. Coughlon was charged following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
May 9th, 2003On 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.
March 27th, 2003On March 27, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Joleen Coughlon, former office secretary of Laborers Local 177, pled guilty to embezzling union funds and making a false entry in a union record. She had been indicted on November 20, 2002 following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office. She is the fifth defendant to have pled guilty to the embezzlement of funds from Local 177.
March 6th, 2003On March 6, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Craig Michael, a member of Laborers Local 177 in Des Moines, was sentenced to five years probation, two months home confinement, and ordered to make restitution of $16,900 jointly and severally with former officers Fred Risius and Henry Jannenga. Michael pled guilty on November 11, 2002 to conspiring to embezzle union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
February 28th, 2003On February 28, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Fred Risius, former president of Laborers Local 177 in Des Moines, was sentenced to serve 15 months in prison, followed by three years supervised release, and ordered to pay $100,000 in restitution to Local 177. Risius pled guilty on July 25, 2002 to embezzling $100,060 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
February 28th, 2003On February 28, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Henry Jannenga, former vice-president of Laborers Local 177 in Des Moines, was sentenced to serve three months in prison, followed by three years supervised release including six months home confinement, and ordered to pay $22,500 in restitution to Local 177. Jannenga pled guilty on July 25, 2002 to embezzling $20,460 in union funds. These charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
January 14th, 2003On January 14, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Clyde Starkey, former member of Laborers Local 177 in Des Moines, pled guilty to conspiracy to embezzle union funds. Starkey was indicted on November 19, 2002, for cashing $28,905 in union checks payable to the fictitious Starkey Construction Company and then splitting the proceeds with the Local 177 business manager. The investigation was conducted by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
December 12th, 2002On December 12, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Cheryl Rowe, former secretary of Laborers Local 80, pled guilty to one count of embezzling $93,430 in union funds. She had been indicted on March 15, 2002, following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office and the Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General.
November 13th, 2002On November 13, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Norval Craig Michael, a member of Laborers Local 177, entered a guilty plea to an information charging him with conspiracy to embezzle. As detailed in the information, Michael joined with Business Manager Fred Risius and Vice-President Henry Jannenga in an embezzlement scheme wherein $16,900 in union checks payable to him were cashed and the proceeds split among the parties. These charges are the result of an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office. Risius and Jannegna were charged and entered guilty pleas in related investigations on July 26, 2002.
October 22nd, 2002On October 22, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Patricia Smith, former office secretary of the Laborers District Council of Alabama, was sentenced to six months home confinement followed by five years of supervised probation. She was ordered to pay $17,454.66 in restitution (prior to sentencing she had made restitution totaling $4,232.34). On July 10, 2002, Smith pled guilty to one count of embezzling $21,687 in union funds and one count of falsification of union records following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
October 10th, 2002On October 10, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Edward K. Wiebeck, Sr., former business manager of Laborers Local 503, was sentenced to confinement in a community corrections center for six months followed by six months home confinement with electronic monitoring followed by three years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $32,790.82 in restitution. On May 9, 2002, Wiebeck pled guilty to one count of embezzling $32,790.82 in union funds following an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.
September 25th, 2002On September 25, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, Jeremias Lopez, former business manager of Laborers Local 220, was sentenced to ten months confinement followed by twelve months of supervised release, ordered to pay $10,814 in restitution to the union's bonding company, ordered to pay a special assessment of $25, and ordered to be subject to regular drug testing. The court recommended that the sentence be served at the Turning Point drug/alcohol rehabilitation center in Bakersfield. On July 10, 2002, Lopez pled guilty to falsifying union records and admitted embezzling union receipts between $10,000 and $30,000 following an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
August 23rd, 2002On August 23, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Linda G. Chargois, former office secretary of Laborers Local 80, was sentenced to three months imprisonment followed by three years probation and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $35,171.10. She had pled guilty on April 1, 2002, and had been indicted on January 9, 2002, following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office and the Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General.
July 25th, 2002On July 25, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Fred T. Risius, business manager of Laborers Local 177, pled guilty to a one-count information charging him with embezzling $100,060 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
July 25th, 2002On July 25, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Henry Jannenga, vice president and training fund coordinator of Laborers Local 177, pled guilty to a one-count information charging him with embezzling $20,460 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
July 10th, 2002On July 10, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, Jeremias Lopez, former business manager of Laborers Local 220, pled guilty to falsifying union records. Under terms of a plea agreement entered and accepted by the court, he also admitted to having embezzled receipts of the local, causing a loss of between $10,000 and $30,000. Charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
May 9th, 2002On May 9, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Edward K. Wiebeck, Sr., former business manager of Laborers Local 503, pled guilty to a one-count information charging him with embezzling $32,790.82 in union funds. The charges had been brought on April 9, 2002, following an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.
April 1st, 2002On April 1, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Linda G. Chargois, former office secretary for Laborers Local 80, pled guilty to count one (charging her with embezzling $57) of a 29-count indictment that had charged her with embezzling a total of $35,171 in union funds. She had been indicted on January 9, 2002, following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
November 21st, 2001On November 21, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, John Abbott, former secretary-treasurer of the Laborers District Council of Oregon, Southern Idaho, and Wyoming, was sentenced to 15 months in prison and one year probation. He was ordered to make restitution of $194,400 and settle his income taxes with the IRS for the years 1994 through 1998. He had pled guilty on February 26, 2001, to accepting gratuities to use his influence as a pension plan trustee and filing a false tax return 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.
September 25th, 2001On September 25, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, Craig J. Rider, former business manager of Laborers Local 1290, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for embezzlement of union funds, to be followed by 36 months of supervised release. He was also ordered to make restitution of $15,044. He had pled guilty on May 21, 2001, following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
September 4th, 2001On September 4, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Maine, Ray Curtis, former secretary-treasurer of Laborers Local 327, was sentenced to three years probation with a condition that he serve six months in home confinement with electronic monitoring. He was also ordered to make restitution to the union of the balance he owes, $6,655. He had earlier pled guilty to embezzling $8,547 in union funds following an investigation by the OLMS Boston District Office.
May 21st, 2001On May 21, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, J. Craig Rider, former business manager of Laborers Local 1290, pled guilty to charges that he embezzled $15,345 in union funds. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
February 26th, 2001On February 26, 2001, in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, John Abbott, former secretary-treasurer of the Laborers District Council of Oregon, Southern Idaho, and Wyoming, pled guilty to one count of accepting $194,940 in gratuities to use his influence as a pension plan trustee in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1954 and one count of filing a false tax return by omitting gratuities of $76,560 in violation of 26 U.S.C. 7206(1). The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office, the IRS, FBI, the Department of Labor’s Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, and the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General.