criminal 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.

Date	Description
December 19th, 2013	On December 19, 2013, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Elizabeth Branca, former business manager for Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 12 (located in Roseville, Minn.), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds in the amount of $16,546, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and for aiding and abetting another, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2. On December 18, 2013, Branca was charged in an information with embezzling union funds and aiding and abetting. The information also alleged forfeitures pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 981(a)(1)(c) and 28 U.S.C. 2461(c). The charges and plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office.
December 18th, 2013	On December 18, 2013, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Laurie Hoffman, former bookkeeper for Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 12 (located in Roseville, Minn.), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds in the amount of $8,909, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and for aiding and abetting another, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2. On December 17, 2013, Hoffman was charged in an information with embezzling union funds and aiding and abetting. The information also alleged forfeitures pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 981(a)(1)(c) and 28 U.S.C. 2461(c). The charges and plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office.
October 8th, 2013	On October 8, 2013, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Elizabeth Branca, former business manager for Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 12 (located in Roseville, Minn.), was indicted for embezzlement of union funds in the amount of $25,456, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and for aiding and abetting, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2. The indictment also alleges forfeitures pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 981(a)(1)(c) and 28 U.S.C. 2461(c). On October 25, 2013, Branca self-surrendered. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office.
October 8th, 2013	On October 8, 2013, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Laurie Hoffman, former bookkeeper for Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 12 (located in Roseville, Minn.), was indicted for embezzlement of union funds in the amount of $25,456, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and for aiding and abetting, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2. The indictment also alleges forfeitures pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 981(a)(1)(c) and 28 U.S.C. 2461(c). On October 24, 2013, Hoffman was arrested. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office.