Long-time boss of Int’l Union of Operating Engineers Local 35 in Minneapolis pled guilty Dec. 17 to embezzling over $200,000 from the local. Norman Campbell admitted he began using union funds illegally in Dec. 1990 and later used the money for drinking and gambling. Authorities are unsure how much union money is missing because Campbell destroyed many of the local’s records. Campbell’s attorney said it’s unlikely the boss will be able to pay back most of the funds. U.S. Dist. Judge James Rosenbaum ordered Campbell to not gamble while awaiting sentencing: “If you so much as flip a coin, I’ll throw you in jail,” the judge said. [Star Tribune 12/18/98]
