/ Union Profiles / Carpenters / Local 157 / criminal charges

Carpenters, Local 157

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
October 4th, 2022	On October 4, 2022, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), John DeFalco, former Vice President of Carpenters Local 157 (located in New York, N.Y.), was sentenced to three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $148,213 in restitution as well as $149,735 in forfeiture. On June 25, 2019, DeFalco and Salvatore Tagliaferro, former President of Carpenters Local 926 (located in Brooklyn, N.Y.) and a New York City District Council of Carpenters Representative, were indicted as co-conspirators on multiple charges for a scheme to sell union books or membership cards (union property) in exchange for cash bribes. On October 27, 2020, DeFalco pleaded guilty to conspiracy, conversion of union assets, honest services wire fraud, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, false statements, and distribution of oxycodone, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371; 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and 18 U.S.C. 2; 18 U.S.C. 1343, 1346 and 2; 18 U.S.C. 1512 (b)(1) and 2; 18 U.S.C. 1512(b)(2)(A) and 2; 18 U.S.C. 1001; and 21 U.S.C. 812, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). In 2021, following a jury trial, Tagliaferro was found guilty of conspiracy, conversion of union assets, and honest services wire fraud, sentenced to five years in prison, and was ordered to pay $145,065 in restitution and $296,400 in forfeiture. The sentencings follow a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, the Public Corruption Unit of the U.S. Attorneys Office SDNY, the Department of Labors Office of Inspector General, and the New York City Department of Investigation.

Date

Description

October 4th, 2022

On October 4, 2022, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), John DeFalco, former Vice President of Carpenters Local 157 (located in New York, N.Y.), was sentenced to three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $148,213 in restitution as well as $149,735 in forfeiture. On June 25, 2019, DeFalco and Salvatore Tagliaferro, former President of Carpenters Local 926 (located in Brooklyn, N.Y.) and a New York City District Council of Carpenters Representative, were indicted as co-conspirators on multiple charges for a scheme to sell union books or membership cards (union property) in exchange for cash bribes. On October 27, 2020, DeFalco pleaded guilty to conspiracy, conversion of union assets, honest services wire fraud, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, false statements, and distribution of oxycodone, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371; 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and 18 U.S.C. 2; 18 U.S.C. 1343, 1346 and 2; 18 U.S.C. 1512 (b)(1) and 2; 18 U.S.C. 1512(b)(2)(A) and 2; 18 U.S.C. 1001; and 21 U.S.C. 812, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). In 2021, following a jury trial, Tagliaferro was found guilty of conspiracy, conversion of union assets, and honest services wire fraud, sentenced to five years in prison, and was ordered to pay $145,065 in restitution and $296,400 in forfeiture. The sentencings follow a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, the Public Corruption Unit of the U.S. Attorneys Office SDNY, the Department of Labors Office of Inspector General, and the New York City Department of Investigation.