On Oct. 15, 2002, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the Dist. of Columbia, Richard C. Holton, pres. of an insurance agency, Holton & Associates, Ltd., pled guilty to 3 counts of bribery via employer payments to a labor union official. Holton and others initiated a self-insurance program known as the Ironworking Contractors Insurance Program (ICIP). ICIP was an effort by the employers to self-insure or reinsure their worker’s compensation liability as well as other business risks.
Holton paid former Intl. Assn. of Iron Wrkrs. (IAIW) officials Jake West, LeRoy Worley, and Stephen Cooper to solicit union employers to join ICIP. Later, West threatened that he would withdraw IAIW support for ICIP unless the three officials received additional payments, Holton, with the approval of some of the employers, agreed to pay West, Worley, and Cooper $10,000 each per year for their continued support. Throughout 1996, 1997, 1998 and part of 1999, monthly checks were issued to West, Worley, and Cooper. The charges were brought following a joint investigation by the Wash. D.C. branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards and the FBI. [DOL OLMS 11/13/02]
Ex-Calif. Treasurer Sentenced for $90K Theft
On Nov. 15, 2002, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the East. Dist. of Calif., Mary Anderson, frmr. treasurer of Communications Wrkrs. Local 9417, was sentenced to prison for 12 mos. and a day, plus 12 mos. of probation, and was ordered to make restitution of $89,422. On July 19, Anderson pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds. The charge was brought following an investigation by the San Francisco branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [DOL OLMS 11/20/02]
Ga. Official Indicted for 3-Year Theft from Local Union
A Henry County grand jury, on Nov. 13, indicted Jerome F. Amis, a high school social studies teacher, for allegedly stealing $35,000 from the county affiliate of the Ga. Assn. of Educators union.
Amis is alleged to have embezzled the funds from April 1999 to May of this year, while he was president of the Henry County affiliate. Amis has also been a member of the McDonough City Council since 1986. Henry County D.A. Tommy Floyd said he will contact lame-duck Gov. Roy Barnes as part of a legal procedure designed to remove indicted officials from elected offices. School officials said it is too early to decidewhether Amis will continue teaching as he has in Henry County for 24 years. [Atlanta Journal-Constitution 11/14/02, Henry County D.A. 11/13/02]