On December 19, Michael Winchester, former financial secretary for United Auto Workers Local 651, based in Flint, Michigan, was sentenced in federal court to 12 months and one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for embezzling union funds. He also will have to make restitution to a bonding company, Zurich North America, in the amount of $20,401.46 and pay a $100 special assessment. He pleaded guilty in September. The sentencing follows a joint investigation by the Labor Department’s Office of Labor-Management Standards and Office of Inspector General. (OLMS, 1/9/07).
Kansas City, Mo. Secretary Charged with Embezzlement
On December 18, Jackie Uptegrove, former secretary-treasurer for Lodge M-146 of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, was charged in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri with one count of making false entries in union records in the amount of $16,628. Lodge M-146 is based in Kansas City, Missouri. (OLMS, 1/9/07).
Local Boss in Pennsylvania Charged with False Record-Keeping
On December 29, Charyle Emel, former president of Local 2013 of the American Postal Workers Union, was charged in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania with one count of falsifying union financial records. She allegedly made or caused to be made a false loan agreement that allowed her to borrow roughly $7,000 of her USPS salary from the local so long as she paid it back when her term in office ended. The charge follows a joint investigation by the Labor Department’s Office of Labor-Management Standards and the U.S. Postal Service Inspector General’s Office. (OLMS, 1/9/07).
Ohio Local President Indicted for Embezzlement
On December 20, Dennis P. Harper, former branch president and advocate for Local 304 of the National Postal Mail Handlers, was convicted in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio of embezzling $2,543.10 in local funds. He had been indicted in May for embezzling more than $4,800 from the Cincinnati-based union, which represents more than 3,300 workers in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. (OLMS, 1/9/07).
Kansas City, Mo.-Area Secretary-Treasurer Charged with Theft
On December 18, 2006, David E. Hlavacek, secretary-treasurer for American Postal Workers Local 7065 and the Missouri State Postal Workers Union, was charged in federal court for the Western District of Missouri with one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $6,383. (OLMS, 1/9/07).
Ex-Treasurer of Maryland Local Indicted for Embezzlement
On December 20, Walter Fisher, ex-treasurer for United Transportation Union Local 1949, was indicted in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland on one count of embezzling union funds. No specific dollar amount was given. The local is based in Ellicott City, Md., in suburban Baltimore. (OLMS, 1/9/07).