Stephen E. Morris pled guilty on Feb. 7 to embezzling from the union he served as Treasurer for nine years. According to the Plea Agreement and Stipulation of Facts, Morris stole the funds from Local 109 of the Intl. Bhd. Of Elec. Wrkrs in Moline from April 2000 through Oct. 2001. He made unauthorized cash withdrawls of $20,463, unauthorized check withdrawls of $51,881, overstated expenses of $1,933, check amounts raised above what was approved of $4,699, and cash back from deposits of $8,066.
That adds up to $87,043. But the Stipulation reports the total amount stolen to be between that figure and $72,344. Since Morris will be required to make restitution, the amount stolen will likely be determined by Chief U.S. Dist. Judge Joe B. McDade (Cent. Dist., IL, G.H.W. Bush) at Morriss sentencing hearing on June 6.
Ex-Ohio Office Secy. Indicted for Embezzlement, Bank Fraud
On February 5, 2003, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the Sou. Dist. of Ohio, a grand jury returned a two count indictment against Debra Dougherty, former office secretary of Intl. Bhd. of Electrical Wrkrs. Local 648. The indictment charges Dougherty with one count of embezzlement of $41,829.95 in union funds and one count of bank fraud in the amount of $7,030.40. The charges were brought following an investigation by the Cincinnati branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/13/03]
Illinois Treasurer will plead Guilty to Embezzlement
On January 24, 2003, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Anthony King, former treasurer of International Bhd. of Electrical Workers Local 533, was charged with embezzling $14,450 in union funds. An agreement has been reached in which King indicates he will plead guilty at a hearing scheduled on February 13. The charge was brought following a joint investigation by the Chicago branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. [OLMS 2/13/03]
Boston Electronics Owner Convicted of Helping Teamsters Boss in Theft Ring
A federal jury found Tufts Electronics owner Bruce Ziskind guilty of conspiracy and theft on Feb. 12 for his part in a theft ring run with frmr. Teamster Local 25 boss John “Mick” Murray. Starting in 1995, Ziskind would pick out semi-conductors and video cards from UPS shipments to his store. Murray and other teamsters working for UPS would then steal the equipment and receive payments for their assistance. But in 1997, Daniel Gilday stole a package with an FBI tracking device, was arrested and went to prison. For immunity from other charges in the conspiracy, Gilday testified against Ziskind, who argued that the statute of limitations had run out on his crime. [Boston Herald 1/29/03, Boston Globe 2/13/03, Boston Herald 2/13/03]
Ex-La. Treasurer Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement
Norma J. Reedy pled guilty in mid-Feb. to embezzling $29,882 from the Amer. Postal Wrkrs. State Assn. (APWSA) in Shreveport from Aug. 1999 until Jan. 22, 2001. Instead of paying the APWSA’s bills, she cashed more than 40 checks for her personal benefit without authorization. After an investigation by the New Orleans branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards, Reedy admitted taking the money on Sept. 23, 2002. She has promised to make full restitution. She entered her plea before Sr. U.S. Dist. Judge Thomas E. Stagg, Jr. (West. Dist. La., Nixon), and will be sentenced on May 8. [U.S.A.O. W.D. LA 2/7/03]
Indicted Union Bosses Still Working NJ Piers
They may stand indicted for extortion of their unions members and working with the Genovese crime family. But Nicholas Furina, Ralph Esposito, and John Timpanaro. But today, all three are still working the ports of the NY-NJ area.
All three, officials of Local 1588 of the Intl. Longshoremens Assn. (ILA), were indicted last May by a NJ grand jury for allegedly threatening to withhold jobs if members refused to pay for them, and accepting bribes for assignments and promotions. The bi-state Waterfront Commission of NY initially suspended the licenses of all three to work at the ports. But NJ law requires the commission to either grant an appeal hearing within 60 days or drop the suspension. Lawyers for the three demanded a hearing, and the commission chose not to hold hearings in which “we might have to rely on evidence that comes out in a criminal trial,” acc. to commission secy. David B. Greenfield.
Former NYC Police Commissioner Robert McGuire is taking over as trustee of the Local, which acc. to U.S. Attny. James B. Comey, has been “a cesspool of union corruption” that “for decades…has offered a hospitable environment for mobsters.” [Jersey Journal 2/11/03]
Des Moines Laborers Member Sentenced for Helping to Embezzle Funds
On January 14, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Clyde Starkey, former member of Laborers Local 177 in Des Moines, pled guilty to conspiracy to embezzle union funds. Starkey was indicted on November 19, 2002, for cashing $28,905 in union checks payable to the fictitious Starkey Construction Company and then splitting the proceeds with the Local 177 business manager. The investigation was conducted by the St. Louis branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/3/03]
Fla. Union Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On Jan. 28, 2003, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the N. Dist. of Fla., Geoffrey R. Barron, ex-bus. mgr./financial secy.-treasurer of Carpenters Local 2471, was sentenced to five years probation, ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $35,855, and ordered to pay a special court assessment of $100.00. On October 29, 2002, Barron pled guilty to embezzling $29,855.26 in union funds following an investigation by the Atlanta branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/13/03]
Ex-Bus. Mgr. Sentenced in Texas Fed. Court
On Jan. 31, 2003, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the West. Dist. of Texas, Michael Van Bibber, former business manager of Int’l Assn. of Heat & Frost Insulators & Asbestos Workers Local 87, was sentenced to ten months confinement, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $30,260. Van Bibber pled guilty to embezzling union funds on August 9, 2002, following an investigation by the New Orleans branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/13/03]
Penn. Financial Secy. Sentenced for Embezzlement
On Jan. 23, 2003, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the Middle Dist. of Penn., James Hubler, frmr. financial secretary of Steelworkers Local 14375, pled guilty to embezzling $27,226 in union funds following an investigation by the Philadelphia branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/3/03]
DC Treasurer Sentenced for Theft
On January 31, 2003, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Blanche Williams, former treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 421, was sentenced to five years supervised probation and ordered to pay both full restitution in the amount of $7,193 and a mandatory fine of $100. Williams pled guilty to both fraud and theft on November 15, 2002, following an investigation by the Washington branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/5/03]
Indiana Secy. Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement
On January 24, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, William Brooks, former recording secretary of Intl. Bhd. of Painters & Allied Trades Local 8 of Lake Station, Indiana, pled guilty to embezzling $13,755.15 in union funds. Brooks was indicted on November 15, 2001 following an investigation by the Chicago branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/5/03]
Ex-President Sentenced for Attempted Embezzlement
On January 9, 2003, in West Virginia District Court in Wayne County, Dwight D. Icenhower, former president, general chairman, and financial secretary-treasurer of the Transportation Communications Union, District Lodge 6455, was sentenced to pay a fine plus court costs for attempted embezzlement. Icenhower pled guilty to a misdemeanor attempt to commit an embezzlement of $3,953.44 in union funds following an investigation by the Pittsburgh branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/13/03]
Ex-Bus. Mgr. Pleads Guilty to Union Theft in Local Iowa Court
On January 22, 2003, in the Sixth District Court of Iowa, Carl Roush, former business manager of Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees Local 497 in Cedar Rapids, pled guilty to felony theft. The Linn County Iowa Prosecuting Attorney charged Roush with the theft of $2,691 in union funds on April 12, 2002, following an investigation by the St. Louis branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/3/03]
Ohio Treasurer Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement
On January 22, 2003, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Jeffrey L. Williams, former treasurer of Chapter 6555, Local 11 of the Amer. Fedtn. Of State, County & Municipal Employees, pled guilty to embezzling $3,312.65 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the Cleveland branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/3/03]
Frmr. Miss. Delegate Pleads Guilty to Falsification
On January 22, 2003, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Willie Corbett, former delegate of Lodge 616 of the Bhd. of Maintenance of Way Employees in Union, Mississippi, pled guilty to falsifying union records. Corbett was indicted on September 25, 2002 following an investigation by the New Orleans branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/13/03]