On Nov. 3, in U.S. Dist. Ct. for the Dist. of Columbia, James E. Cole, former general treasurer and general secretary of the Iron Workers International Union, was sentenced to 15 months in prison, followed by 2 yrs. probation for embezzlement, false union reports, and false union records. Additionally, Cole was ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution, a $15,000 fine, and a $150 special assessment. On June 18, 2001, he pled guilty to the charges following a joint investigation by the Washington branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor Mgmt. Standards, the FBI, and the U.S. Attny’s. Office for the Dist. of Columbia. [OLMS, 11/6/03]
Insurance Exec. Sentenced for Bribery in D.C. Court
On Oct. 24, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the Dist. of Columbia, Richard C. Holton, president of an insurance agency, Holton & Associates, Ltd., was sentenced to 4 mos. house arrest and 12 mos. supervised probation for bribery. Specifically, Holton made payments on behalf of employers to Iron Workers International Union officials Jake West, LeRoy Worley, and Stephen Cooper in exchange for their assistance in influencing other employers to join the Ironworking Contractors Insurance Program consortium. Holton was ordered to pay a $15,000 fine, a $75 special assessment, and perform 100 hours of community service. On Oct. 15, Holton pled guilty to three counts of bribery. The guilty plea and sentence follow a joint investigation by the Washington branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor Mgmt. Standards, the FBI, and the U.S. Attny’s. Office for the Dist. of Columbia. [OLMS, 10/30/03]
Ex-Ofc. Mgr. Sentnced in Md. Fed. Ct. for Embezzlement
On Oct. 20, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the Dist. of Maryland, Tammy Lynne Reeves, former ofc. mgr./admin. asst. of Graphic Communications International Union Local 72-C, was sentenced to 18 months incarceration and three years probation for embezzling $169,366.30 in union funds. She was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $21,366.30 and to pay a special assessment of $100; she paid $148,000 in restitution prior to the indictment. On Nov. 18, 2002, Reeves was indicted on one count of embezzlement; she pled guilty on June 3, 2003. The sentence and guilty plea follow a joint investigation by the Washington Dist. Office of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor Mgmt. Standards and the FBI. [OLMS, 10/30/03]
Ex-Secy./Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement in Wisc. Fed. Ct.
On Oct. 23, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the Eastern Dist. of Wisc., Leland Haskins, Jr., frmr. secy.-treasurer of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Division 173, was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $37,900. Haskins pled guilty on July 28, to two counts of embezzlement and two counts of falsifying union records following an investigation by the Milwaukee branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS, 10/30/03]
Ex-Oakland President Indicted for Embezzlement
On October 29, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Murdytha Stubbs, former vice president of Steelworkers Local 1-3586-S, was sentenced to two years probation for embezzling $4,309.40 in union funds. He pled guilty on August 6, 2003, following an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office. [Related documents: HTML |PDF]
On October 28, 2003, in St. Louis County (Minnesota) District Court, Thomas J. Pender, former business manager and financial secretary of Laborers Local 1097, was sentenced to two years probation for theft and fraud. The conditions of the sentence require Pender to complete the following: serve a thirty-day work crew program, pay a fine of $1,000 plus court costs, refrain from using alcohol and mood altering chemicals (except as prescribed by a physician), submit to random urinalysis, submit to DNA testing, pay restitution if it is determined that additional restitution is owed, and show proof that a chemical dependency treatment program was completed. On April 7, 2003, Pender had been charged with one count of theft of $7,000 in union funds and one count of financial transaction card fraud involving $167 in union funds. The charges and sentence follow an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
NJ Dues Collector Charged with Embezzlement
On Oct. 24, 2003 in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the Dist. of NJ, an information was filed against Anna Maria Adinolfi, frmr. dues collector for the Northern NJ Regional Council of Carpenters, charging her with embezzling $8,036 in union funds. Adinolfi allegedly failed to deposit dues from members who were paid in cash. The charge follows an investigation by the New York District Office of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS, 10/30/03]
Ex-Union President Sentenced for Falsification in W. Va. Fed. Ct.
On Oct. 23, in the U.S. Dist. Court for the Northern Dist. of W. Va., James Cooper, frmr. president of Local 5-276 of the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union (PACE), was sentenced to one day of probation for falsifying union records. He was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $5,000 and to pay a $25 special assessment. On Oct. 9, Cooper pled guilty to falsifying union records following an investigation by the Pittsburgh District Office of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS, 10/30/03]
Ex-Financial Secy. Pleads Guilty to Falsification in Ohio Fed. Ct.
On Oct. 22, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the Southern Dist. of Ohio, Bridgette Robinson, former financial-secy. of Glass, Molders, Plastics Local 170, pled guilty to a one-count information charging her with making a false statement. The charge follows an investigation by the Cincinnati District Office of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS, 10/30/03]
Ex-Secy./Treasurer Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement in Ohio Fed. Ct.
On Oct. 17, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the Northern Dist. of Ohio, Maria Eaton, frmr. secy.-treasurer of Lodge 2714 of the Intl. Assn. of Machinists, pled guilty to an information charging her with embezzling $10,000 in union funds. The charge follows an investigation by the Cleveland District Office of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS, 11/6/03]
DOL Sues Texas Union Seeking New Election of Officers
On Oct. 31, the Department of Labor filed suit in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the Northern Dist. of Texas against Transport Workers Local 556 seeking to supervise a new election for the office of first vice president. The local represents 7,300 members employed by Southwest Airline as flight attendants. The lawsuit alleges that several of the votes for the office of first vice president were affected by the local’s untimely distribution of a booklet containing candidates’ campaign statements in violation of the union’s constitution and bylaws. The union’s bylaws require the union to print and distribute candidates’ campaign statements before the election. At one of the local’s airports, the campaign booklet was distributed after some members had already voted. The lawsuit follows an investigation by the Dallas District Office of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS, 11/6/03]