On September 16, Charles Bohanon, former secretary-treasurer of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Division 1, was charged in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan with embezzling funds from the Petersburg, Mich. union in the amount of $18,074.23. The charge follows an investigation by the U.S. Labor Department’s Office of Labor-Management Standards. (OLMS, 10/12/08).
West Virginia Ex-Secretary Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement
On October 6, Donna Roles, former secretary for United Steelworkers of America Local 14310, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for stealing at least $60,000 from her union. Roles, 50, had been indicted this past May on charges of embezzlement and falsifying union records during January 2002-September 2005. She faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine at her sentencing in February. (Associated Press, 10/6/08).
Former Ohio Local President Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement
On September 30, Kenneth Saltz, Jr., former president of United Steelworkers of America Local 1124, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio to one count of embezzling funds in the amount of $15,809. He had been charged in August. The union is based in Massillon. (OLMS, 10/12/08).
Detroit-Area Secretary-Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
Betty Wing, formerly secretary-treasurer of Steelworkers Local 1077 in Detroit, was sentenced in federal court on October 3 to probation for embezzling union assets and also will have to make $6,600 in restitution. Wing, 42, a resident of Ann Arbor, during 2003 and 2004 had made checks out to herself for work not performed and added digits to existing checks in order to increase their monetary value. (Detroit News, 10/3/08).
Secretary-Treasurer of Michigan Local Charged with Theft
On September 12, Michael LaPorte, former secretary-treasurer of Steelworkers Local 430 in Niles, Mich., was charged in Berrien County trial court with embezzlement of between $1,000 and $20,000. (OLMS, 10/12/08).
Wisconsin Local President Charged with Forgery, Theft
On September 23, Jeffrey Granberg, former president of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 7 in Janesville, Wisconsin, was charged in the Circuit Court of Rock County with one count of forgery and one count of theft of less than $2,500. (OLMS, 10/12/08).
Officers of Boston Local Indicted for Records Violations
On September 15, Frank Rago and Louis Desisto, respectively, president and secretary-treasurer of International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1604 in Boston, were indicted in federal court for various bookkeeping violations. Rago allegedly failed to properly maintain records and in addition made false entries on union and ERISA forms; Desisto allegedly falsified records in the course of a federal investigation. (OLMS, 10/12/08).