U.S. Dist. Judge Barbara Crabb (W.D. WI, Carter) rejected any leniency in sentencing Michael E. Koehler on Feb. 14 to 2 yrs., 1 month in prison, 3 yrs. supervised release, and full restitution of the $135,197 he embezzled from a Madison union. The frmr. financial secy. of Local 965 of the Intl. Bhd. of Electrical Wrkrs. pled guilty to taking unauthorized salary payments, and falsely claiming reimbursements for meal, mileage and meeting expenses.
Koehler pled guilty in exchange for the U.S. Attny’s. recommendation of a reduced sentence. But Judge Crabb was angered by Koehler’s statements to a pre-sentence investigator that frivolously denied relevant conduct that was the basis for the Oct. 24 information. Koehler was not being sentenced for mistakes, Judge Crabb told Koehler, but because “you cheated, you lied and you stole.” [U.S.A.O. W.D. WI 2/14/03]