On August 19, 2002, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the East. Dist. of North Carolina, Hugh C. Credle, former president of United Postal Workers Local 1616 in Roanoke Rapids, pled guilty to making false entries in required union records in violation of U.S.C. 29, Sec. 439(c). He admitted making the false entries in order to conceal his embezzlement of union funds totaling $8,163.09.
Credle had been charged in a two-count indictment on April 17, 2002, following an investigation by the Nashville branch of the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. As part of the plea agreement, Credle agreed to make restitution of $6,734 to the union, pay a fine of $5,000, and resign from the Halifax County School Board. [DOL OLMS 9/12/02]
Ex Puerto Rican Adminr. Confesses to Embezzlement
On August 29, 2002, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the Judicial Dist. of Puerto Rico, Abdiel Navarro, former office administrator of the Union General de Trabajadores, pled guilty to three counts of embezzling a total of $15,005.63 in union funds, three counts of embezzling a total of $20,556.31 from a welfare benefit plan, and two counts of falsifying welfare benefit plan records. He had pled not guilty on July 1, 2002, following an investigation by the Atlanta branch of the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [DOL OLMS 9/12/02]
Frmr. Ofc. Secy. in Tex. Sentenced for Embezzlement
On August 23, 2002, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the East. Dist. of Texas, Linda G. Chargois, former office secretary of Laborers Local 80, was sentenced to three months imprisonment followed by three years probation and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $35,171.10. She had pled guilty on April 1, 2002, and had been indicted on January 9, 2002, following an investigation by the New Orleans branch of the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards and the DOL Inspector General. [DOL OLMS 9/12/02]
Ex-IN Bus. Manager Pleads Guilty to Thefts from General, Training Funds
James Clem pled guilty on Aug. 21 two counts of embezzlement of membership dues and training funds from Local 80 of the Intl. Bhd. of Painters and Allied Trades in Lafayette, Indiana. The former business manager and financial secy. entered his plea in the U.S. Dist. Ct. in Hammond, Ind.
According to the indictment, Clem collected $4,053 in members’ dues payments and kept them rather than deposit the cash in the union’s bank account. He also issued and endorsed a check to himself for $980 from the union’s general fund. Most of his thefts came from Local 80’s Apprenticeship and Training Fund, where from October 16, 1997 to January 10, 1998, he issued 14 checks totaling $10,944 to himself.
Each individual theft was treated as a separate count, totaling 16, in the indictment. By pleading to one count of embezzlement from the general fund — in violation of U.S.C. 29, Sec. 501(c), and one count of theft from the training fund — in violation of U.S.C. 18, Sec. 664, Clem faces a maximum term of 10 years in prison and $500,000 in fines, The U.S. Attny will recommend a reduction in the “offense level” to be used in consideration of his sentencing. [U.S.A.O. N.D. IN]
WA Secy.-Treas. Sentenced for Falsification of Financial Disclosure Form
On August 29, 2002, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the West. Dist. of Washington, Lenette Kendrick, former secretary-treasurer of the Rural Letter Carriers in Clallam and Jefferson Counties, was sentenced to two years probation, fined $500, and ordered to pay the balance of $212 in restitution for the falsification of the union’s annual financial report. Kendrick pled guilty on June 20, 2002, following an investigation by the Seattle branch of the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [DOL OLMS 9/12/02]
Ex-Local Pres. in MI Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement
On August 22, 2002, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the East. Dist. of Mich., Delbert Steward, former president of Steelworkers Local 1279, pled guilty to embezzling $9,578 in union funds. He had been charged in a criminal complaint following an investigation by the Detroit branch of the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [DOL OLMS 9/12/02]