The U.S. Attny. for the Northern Dist. of Texas announced a two-count indictment against the frmr. president and treasurer of the Dallas Police Patrolman’s Union on June 4. Richard A. Wilson Jr. was president of the union, which was affiliated with the Intl. Union of Police Assns., AFL-CIO, as Local 588. According to its constitution, any expense over $500 must be approved by the union’s Bd. of Trustees. In April, 2001, acc. to the indictment, Wilson used the union’s American Express card to pay the $2,420 down payment for his new Ford F-150 truck. For that, Wilson is charged with mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C., Sec. 1341.
Wilson is also charged with making false statements in violation of 18 U.S.C., Sec. 1001. In 1998, the union contracted with Business Relations Services Inc. for telemarketing, with the company receiving 80 percent of all funds raised while the union received only 20 percent. During their telemarketing campaign, over 200 people complained about the phone calls to the Dallas Police Dept., the Dallas Police Assn. (a separate union), and the Patrolman’s union. But when asked by the FBI, Wilson allegedly claimed that there had been only 6 complaints, all of which had been resolved.
Wilson was placed on administrative leave in Feb. 2002 after union members contacted authorities about suspected irregularities in the union’s finances. Two months later, the union members voted to disaffiliate themselves from the AFL-CIO and join the Fraternal Order of Police.
If convicted on both counts, Wilson faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. [U.S.A.O., N.D. TX, 6/4/03: Dallas Morning News, 6/5/03]