An ex-teachers union boss pled innocent Jun. 2 to a 20-count grand jury indictment in U.S. Dist. Court in Fort Wayne, Ind. for union corruption. Steve Confer allegedly embezzled over $53,000 in 1994-96 while treasurer of the Professional Service Org. of the Ind. State Teachers Ass’n. Confer moved to Las Vegas in 1996, becoming exec. director of the Clark County Edu. Ass’n — the second largest Nat. Edu. Ass’n chapter. He resigned from that post in 1998.
Confer allegedly wrote himself $45,300 in checks and charged $7,800 on the union’s credit card for personal purposes. PSO sought to recover the funds. Reportedly, Confer settled by repaying the disputed amount in a 1997 agreement. But a private settlement doesn’t shelter Confer from prosecution. He faces a life ban from union office as well as 5 years in prison or a $10,000 fine for each charge. [Las Vegas Review-Journal 6/3/99]
New York Boss Allegedly Embezzled $215,000
In Yorkers, N.Y., Roosevelt High School’s Discipline Dean, Vincent Marolla was arrested Jun.14 after he got to work for allegedly embezzling $215,000 while treasurer of his teachers union. Marolla was Yonkers Fed. of Teachers treasurer for 27 years and used union dues for his own dinners, trips and other personal items, according to Westchester County Dist. Atty. Jeanine Pirro. In Sep. 1998, Marolla allegedly admitted to a $40,000 theft but claimed he repaid it. The union commissioned an audit that showed more shortfalls. He faces 15 years in prison. [A.P. 6/14/99]
Nevada Boss Sentenced for $72,500 Theft
Johnie M. Williams, ex-secretary-treasurer of the Am. Fed’n of Gov’t Employees Local 1199 in Nev., was sentenced Jun. 7 to one year in prison for embezzling $72,500 from AFGE. He was ordered to pay $67,800 in restitution. In Aug. 1999, a federal grand jury indicted Williams on 162 counts of embezzlement from AFGE and three counts of filing false reports with the Dep’t of Labor. The 1993-96 scam entailed checks written to cash, Williams and personal creditors. [Las Vegas Review-Journal 6/8/99]
Three New Jersey Bosses Arrested for Kickbacks and More
Three bosses of Int’l Longshoremen’s Ass’n Local 1588 in Bayonne, N.J., were arrested Jun. 10 for embezzlement and conspiracy. They allegedly took $24,000 in contractor kickbacks and used union credit cards for $7,600 in personal purchases. Local 1588 boss John Angelone allegedly used bought such personal items as a $1,087 dinner at N.Y.’s Bouley restaurant, $1,186 for a three-day N.Y. hotel stay and $135 for Broadway tickets. He reportedly spent $5,826 for a “tea party” in Jersey City. He also allegedly cashed $2,400 in ILA paychecks issued to “T.R.” and on the same day “T.R.” was put on the ILA payroll. Eugene G’Sell and Denise Bohn were also charged. The three were released on $100,000 bonds. Prosecutors didn’t describe the “tea party” or identify “T.R.,” but said the expenses cited are a fraction of what the three are believed to have taken. [A.P. 6/10/99]
Felon Returns to Power in Cleveland
Cleveland’s Int’l Bhd. of Teamsters Local 507 boss, Terrence Freeman, was convicted of perjury on Aug. 14, 1998 and sentenced Nov. 18 to 5 months in prison. He was back at work as Local 507’s secretary-treasurer on Jun. 3. IBT’s Independent Review Board chose not to block Freeman’s resumption of office. But whether he will remain depends on IRB’s hearing scheduled for Jul. 8. IRB will consider a Mar. ruling made by Joint Council 1, which oversees Local 507, to remove Freeman from his post and bar him from the union for life. The Council first held that the perjury conviction didn’t bring “reproach” upon IBT and allowed him to keep his post. The Council later reversed. [Plain Dealer 6/5/99]