United States Attorney John K.Vincent announced on July 19 that Mary Dolores Anderson pled guilty to embezzling nearly $90,000 as a union officer from 1993 to 1999. Anderson faces a sentence of up to five years imprisonment and up to a $10,000 fine. Her sentencing is scheduled for October 4, 2002 before U.S.District Court Judge Garland E. Burrell,Jr. (E.D. Calif., G.H.W. Bush)
According to Asst. U.S.Attorney Christopher P. Sonderby, who is prosecuting the case, Anderson served from 1993 to 1999 as the Secretary-Treasurer of the Communication Workers of America Local 9417, a Stockton union made up of about 700 Pacific Bell employees in San Joaquin County. In FY 2000, the Local had $189,307 in receipts, 94% of which came in the form of members’ dues, acc. to the union’s LM-3 financial disclosure form filed with the U.S. Labor Dept.
Anderson admitted that she got other union officers to sign blank checks for the payment of bills while they were out of town, as all union checks required the signatures of two officers. Rather than using the funds for legitimate union expenses, Anderson made over 90 of these checks payable to herself, signed them, and deposited them directly into her personal bank accounts. Anderson then attempted to conceal her embezzlement by falsifying and destroying the check stubs. Anderson also made a payment on her personal credit card using the union’s funds, and made two unauthorized withdrawals from the union’s bank account. Anderson embezzled approximately $89,422.58 from the union by employing this scheme.
Anderson has agreed to make full restitution to the union as part of a plea agreement. The case was investigated by the United States Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. [U.S.A.O.. E.D. CA]