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Union Facts

Maintenance Of Way Employees

Embezzlement Charges

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
September 3rd, 2015On September 3, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Jeremy Bolte, former Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWE) Lodge 800 (located in Kansas City, Mo.), was sentenced to five years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution of $12,500 and a special assessment of $1,000. On October 29, 2014, Bolte pled guilty to 10 counts of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
May 22nd, 2014On May 22, 2014, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, J.D. Richey, former Secretary Treasurer of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local Lodge 3025 (located in Fort Wayne, Ind.), was sentenced to two years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,300. On February 21, 2014, Richey pled 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.
January 9th, 2014On January 9, 2014, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, Henry Hull, Jr., former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Lodge 654 (located in Southaven, Miss.), was indicted on one count of embezzling $8,240 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.
July 24th, 2013On July 24, 2013, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, J.D. Richey, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local Lodge 3025 (located in Fort Wayne, Ind.), 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 Chicago District Office.
October 4th, 2011On October 4, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Derrick George, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way, Employes (BMWE), IBT, Sub-Lodge 76 (located in Leon, W.Va.), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds. The plea agreement requires payment of restitution in the amount of $19,287.42. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
August 5th, 2011On August 5, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, Michael J. Curry, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Lodge 1127 (located in Texarkana, Ark.), was sentenced to three years of supervised probation and was ordered to pay $6,996.55 in restitution. On April 15, 2011, Curry pled guilty to an information charging him with knowingly and willfully embezzling funds belonging to Lodge 1127 in the amount of $6,996.55. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office.
July 12th, 2011On July 12, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Derrick George, the former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Sub-Lodge 76 (located in Leon, W.Va.), was charged in a one-count indictment for embezzling $19,287.42 in union funds. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
April 15th, 2011On April 15, 2011, in the Western District of Arkansas, an information was filed against Michael Curry, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWE) Lodge 1127 (located in Texarkana, Ark.), charging him with knowingly and willfully embezzling funds belonging to Lodge 1127 in the amount of $6,996.55, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). Curry pled guilty to the charge. The charge and plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office.
February 11th, 2011On February 11, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Frank Kmiec, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division (BMWED) Local 2857 (located in Genoa City, Wis.), was sentenced to one year probation with the first six months served in home confinement with electronic monitoring. He was also ordered to pay a special assessment of $25. On November 22, 2010, Kmiec pled guilty to making false entries in the local’s cash record book, check register, and quarterly audit reports thereby misrepresenting the balance of the local’s bank account. In pleading guilty, Kmiec admitted to embezzling approximately $19,461.39 in Local 2857 funds. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
November 22nd, 2010On November 22, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Frank Kmiec, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) Local 2857 (located in Genoa City, Wis.), pled guilty to making false entries in the local’s cash record book, check register, and quarterly audit reports thereby misrepresenting the balance of the local’s bank account. In pleading guilty, Kmiec admitted to embezzling approximately $19,461.39 in Local 2857 funds. An information was previously filed on November 2, 2010. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
July 13th, 2010On July 13, 2010, in United States District Court for the District of Colorado, Peter Maisel Jr., former Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWE) Local 1517 (located in Pueblo, Colo.), was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $9,514.79. On April 14, 2010, Maisel pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office.
February 8th, 2010On February 8, 2010 in United States District Court for the District of Colorado, Peter Maisel, Jr., former Secretary-Treasurer of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWED) Local Lodge 1517 (located in Pueblo, Colo.) was indicted for embezzling union funds in the amount of $10,124. The charges follow an investigation by the Denver District Office.
September 12th, 2005On September 12, 2005, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Beaver County Court, Beth Ann Shanor, former employee of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Sub-Lodge 3094, was charged in a two-count criminal complaint with embezzling $5,586.70 in union funds. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 14, 2005. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office.
May 21st, 2003On May 21, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Ronald B. Alston, former secretary-treasurer of Maintenance of Way Employees Lodge 563, was indicted for embezzling $9,846 in union funds and making false entries in required union records. These charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.