A federal grand jury handed down a 56-count indictment Mar. 21 against Donald G. Martin, ex-boss of United Steelworkers of Am. Local 8681 in Knoxville, Tenn., for union corruption. Allegedly, he embezzled more than $6,875 in union funds. Specifically, he was charged with 49 counts of union embezzlement, five counts of making false entries into union records, and two counts of making false statements concerning union reporting requirements.
Reportedly, Martin, Local 8681’s financial secretary, had $6,600 in union reimbursement checks issued to him between 1996-98. The checks were supposed to serve as reimbursements for time lost from their jobs for official union business and travel expenses. He also allegedly took $275 via a union check issued to him without authorization and without listing it in the cashbook. He is also accused of falsely stating that five reimbursement checks were payable to union officers when he knew they were payable to him. It also charges him with falsely representing that he received about $1,480 in disbursements for 1996 and $470 for 1997 when he knew he actually received $4,150 and $1,930.
Martin allegedly deposited the funds to personal credit union accounts. He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the embezzlement count and up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine on each of the other counts. [Knoxville News-Sent. 3/22/01]