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
February 15th, 2018	On February 15, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Tamika Bullock, former Treasurer of International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 684 (located in Chesapeake, Va.), was sentenced to 14 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Bullock was also ordered to pay $24,600 in restitution. On November 14, 2017, Bullock pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling $24,600 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
February 12th, 2018	On February 12, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Raymond C. Ventrone, former Business Manager of International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 154 (located in Pittsburgh, Pa.) was sentenced to 41 months incarceration followed by 3 years of supervised released and ordered to pay $2,391,183 in restitution to Boilermakers Local 154 and $500,000 restitution to Zurich Surety for embezzlement of union funds. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $223,881 to the Internal Revenue Service for tax evasion. On September 14, 2017, Ventrone pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and one count of tax evasion in violation of 26 U.S.C. 7201. The sentencing follows an investigation of the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office along with the FBI, DOL-OIG, and the IRS.
December 21st, 2017	On December 21, 2017, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Allegheny County, Pittsburgh Municipal Court, Russell Gloeckl, former maintenance employee for Boilermakers Local 154 (located in Pittsburgh, Pa.), pleaded guilty to one count of receiving stolen property, in violation of 18 Pennsylvania Criminal Code 3925(a). He was then sentenced to one year of probation. The guilty plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office and the Department of LaborÄôs Office of Inspector General.
March 29th, 2017	On March 29, 2017, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, Abingdon Division, William Dixon, former Secretary-Treasurer of International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 2014 (located in Lebanon, Va.), was sentenced to two years of probation and was ordered to undergo counseling and drug treatment. Dixon was also ordered to pay the remaining restitution of $3,408. Dixon previously paid $930. On December 12, 2016, Dixon pled guilty to one count of embezzlement from a labor organization for embezzling $4,338 from the union, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
May 14th, 2014	On May 14, 2014, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Karen Stone, former bookkeeper for Boilermakers Local Lodge 374 (located in Hammond, Ind.), was sentenced to one year of probation and was ordered to pay $9,170 in restitution and a $100 assessment. On February 7, 2014, Stone 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 Chicago District Office.
September 28th, 2011	On September 28, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Christopher Burnett, former President of Boilermakers Lodge 1814 (located in Bridge City, La.), was sentenced to two years probation for making false entries in union records. Burnett was also ordered to pay $410 in restitution and a $25 special assessment. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
July 14th, 2011	On July 14, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Charles Fleming, former President of Boilermakers Lodge 1814 (located in Bridge City, La.), was sentenced to two years probation for making false entries in union records. Fleming was ordered to pay a $25 special assessment fee, a $3,000 fine, and $1,190.83 in restitution, plus interest until the restitution is paid off in full. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
July 6th, 2011	On July 6, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Christopher Burnett, President of Boilermakers Lodge 1814 (located in Bridge City, La.), pled guilty to a one count Bill of Information for making false entries in union records, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The sentencing is scheduled for October 4, 2011. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
May 12th, 2010	On May 12, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Warren Demmin, former President of Boilermakers Local Lodge 449 (located in Sturgeon Bay, Wis.), was sentenced to four months incarceration, four months electronic monitoring, three years probation, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. Demmin previously made restitution in the amount of $14,045.48. On February 11, 2010, Demmin pled guilty to embezzling union funds in the amount of $169.12. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
December 8th, 2009	On December 8, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, Thomas Jon Witham, former Financial Secretary of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 106-D (located in Mason City, Iowa) was sentenced to 21 months in prison for one count of embezzlement of union funds in the amount of $52,037.19. On September 2, 2009, Witham pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the same amount. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
May 6th, 2009	On May 6, 2009, in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, Joseph Michael Johnson, former Secretary-Treasurer of Boilermakers Union Lodge 687 (located in Charleston Heights, S.C.), was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day imprisonment, three years supervised release and was ordered to pay a $100 fine. Johnson was also ordered to make restitution in the amount of $46,653. He had previously made restitution in the amount of $55,866. On January 5, 2009, Johnson had pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $102,519. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office.
August 7th, 2008	On August 7, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, James E. Kay, former President of Boilermakers Local Lodge 523 (located in Sandersville, Ga.), was sentenced to six months home confinement, four years of supervised released, and a $5,000 fine. Also Kay was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $5,642.41. Kay previously made restitution in the amount of approximately $11,000. On April 9, 2008, Kay pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $16, 979.36. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office.
May 12th, 2008	On May 12, 2008, in the Superior Court of Dougherty County, Georgia, Barbara Dodson, former Financial-Secretary of Boilermakers Local 100 (located in Albany, Ga.), pled guilty to six counts of forgery in the first degree and one count of theft-by-taking of union funds in the amount of $1,400. Subsequently, Dodson was sentenced to 120 days in jail, 10 years probation, and a fine of $500. The plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office.
September 20th, 2007	On September 20, 2007, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Jeffrey Klope, former Financial Secretary of Boilermakers Lodge 8-S, was sentenced to three years probation for embezzling union funds in the amount of $25,794. Under the special conditions of his probation, Klope is required to spend the first six months on home detention and perform 100 hours of public service. On June 13, 2007, Klope pled guilty to embezzling union funds in the same amount; Klope had previously paid full restitution to the union. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
May 9th, 2007	On May 9, 2007, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Stephen A. Kostelac, former Secretary-Treasurer of Boilermakers Local 906, was sentenced to six months home detention, five years probation, a $100 special assessment, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $26,079.38. On February 7, 2007, Kostelac pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office.
January 17th, 2006	On January 17, 2006, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Linda Y. Brown, former Secretary-Treasurer for Boilermakers Local Lodge 57, was sentenced to six months of home detention and five years of supervised probation. Brown was also ordered to make full restitution to the union. On September 15, 2005, Brown pled guilty to mail fraud for executing a scheme to defraud the union of approximately $24,336 in union funds. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
May 5th, 2004	On May 5, 2004, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Gene Malinowski, former secretary-treasurer and business manager of Boilermakers Lodge 1851, was sentenced to six months community confinement, six months home confinement and five years probation for conspiracy and embezzlement. Malinowski was fined $100, assessed $50 and ordered to make additional restitution in the amount of $17,205. On December 18, 2003, he was indicted on one count of conspiracy and one count of embezzlement. Since the amount in the indictment was unspecified, the loss was fixed at $81,000 during the sentencing. The sentence follows an investigation by the OLMS New Haven Resident Office.
September 6th, 2002	On September 6, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, David Dobry, former secretary-treasurer of Boilermakers Lodge 177, was sentenced to five months imprisonment followed by five months of home detention followed by three years of supervision. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $61,510. He pled guilty to embezzling $61,510 in union funds on July 2, 2002, following an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.