The Albuquerque Tribune has learned that a woman sentenced on Mar. 3 for embezzling from 2 unions served half of a 3-yr. prison sentence in the 1980s for embezzlement, but was pardoned by frmr. Gov. Bruce King (D), for whom she worked. Elizabeth Martin admitted that she used union credit cards and forged checks from the N.M. Bldg. & Construction Trades Council. She also admitted pocketing dues payments to Local 495 of the Intl. Bhd. of Electrical Wrkrs. for herself. In all, Martin admitted stealing $68,743.
In 1984, acc. to Tribune archives, Martin admitted stealing $18,000 from a local hospital where she worked as a comptroller. After serving her sentence, she went on to work as an admin. asst. to Gov. King, who pardoned here as he left ofc. in 1999. U.S. Dist. Judge Martha Vasquez (NM, Clinton) sentenced Martin to only 4 mos. in prison and 4 mos. of home confinement for her larger embezzlement the 2nd time around. [Albuquerque Tribune, 3/6/04]
Ex-Secy.-Treas. Pleads Guilty in NM
On Feb. 6, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the Dist. of N.M., Erma Elizaldez, frmr. secy.-treasurer for Natl. Fdtn. of Fed. Employees, IAM, Local Union 1031, pled guilty to a one count information charging her with misdemeanor receiving stolen property (approximately $500.00). Elizaldez stipulated that she received $14,491.89 from the local’s checking account and $4,151.00 from the arbitration/savings account, for a combined total of $18,642.89. Elizaldez paid restitution of approximately $26,655.00. In a plea agreement, she agreed not to hold any official title in the labor organization, other than as a member, for 13 years from the date of the plea. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the Denver Dist. Ofc. of the Ofc. of Labor Mgmt. Standards [OLMS, 3/4/04]