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United Mine Workers

Indictments

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
January 10th, 2023On January 10, 2023, in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, Manuel Anaya, former Financial Secretary of United Mine Workers for America (UMWA) Local 3106 (located in Socorro, N.M.), was indicted for 21 counts of embezzlement from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
April 5th, 2016On April 5, 2016, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Daniel P. Ternitsky, Jr., former Financial Secretary of United Mine Workers Local 285 (located in Allison, Pa.), was indicted on one count of embezzling $10,680 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
December 29th, 2010On December 29, 2010, Phillip Akins, former Financial Secretary and Treasurer of Mine Workers Local 1987 (located in Jasper, Ala.), was indicted on one count of embezzlement for an amount more than $9,500. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
March 1st, 2007On March 1, 2007, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Vicky Liefer, former Secretary-Treasurer for United Mine Workers Local 1458, pled guilty to embezzling union funds in the amount of $5,019. On January 11, 2007, Liefer was indicted on one count of embezzling union funds in the same amount. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
January 11th, 2007On January 11, 2007, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Vicky Liefer, former Secretary/Treasurer for United Mine Workers Local 1458, was indicted on one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $5,019.50. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
May 31st, 2001On May 31, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, a two-count indictment was returned charging Eugene Wilkinson, former financial secretary of Mine Workers Local 7154, with one count of embezzling $12,024.89 in union funds and one count of false reporting. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Birmingham Resident Investigator Office.