The former office manager of the Ironworkers Local Union No. 808 Joint Apprenticeship and Training Fund in Orlando, Florida, has been charged with 42 counts of embezzling approximately $30,000 in assets from the fund, based on an investigation conducted by the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA).
“Theft of employee benefit assets jeopardizes the benefits of workers,” said Howard Marsh, director of the Department’s Atlanta regional office of the EBSA. “This case was the result of an investigation by the department and the workers covered by the training fund deserve to have their money used for the intended purpose.”
Donna L. Cordero was indicted for embezzling the assets of an employee benefit plan governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). She allegedly carried out the criminal act by issuing herself additional paychecks to which she was not entitled that were drawn on the fund’s account.
The indictment was handed down by a federal grand jury for the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division. If convicted, Cordero faces a maximum sentence of $250,000 and five years in prison on each of the criminal counts.
The Atlanta regional office of the Employee Benefits Security Administration investigated the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.
The apprenticeship fund covered more than 120 union members under a collective bargaining agreement with sponsoring employers located throughout central Florida. [EBSA, 10/22/03, U.S. v. Cordero, Criminal Action 03-CR-202ALL]