On November 13, Willie Harris, former secretary-treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees Local 2823 in Cleveland, was indicted in the Court of Common Pleas of Cuyahoga County, Ohio for theft exceeding $5,000, misuse of a credit card, and unauthorized access to a computer. The local represents employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs. (OLMS, 11/21/08).
Ex-Administrator Sentenced for Role in Royalties Fraud Scheme
On November 10, Michelle Trinh, former assistant administrator of the Writers Guild of America-West Foreign Levies Fund, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to five years probation and 100 hours of community service, and ordered to pay $17,228 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. She had been charged in February with embezzlement by naming an accomplice, Tracy Howze, as the beneficiary of the union’s foreign levies fund. She then wrote union checks payable to Howze, which they later cashed and split to cover personal expenses. (OLMS, 11/21/08).
Cleveland Secretary-Treasurer Charged with Embezzlement
On October 22, Todd Novak, former secretary-treasurer of Division 3 of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, was charged in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio with one count of embezzlement in the amount of $47,780.89. (OLMS, 11/21/08).
Secretary-Treasurer in Ohio Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement
On November 17, Tina Curtis, former secretary-treasurer of American Postal Workers Union Local 232, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio to one count of embezzling $18,283 from the Columbus union. (OLMS, 11/21/08).
Official of Northern Kentucky Local Indicted for Embezzlement
On November 13, Kenneth Wallace, former delegate of Utility Workers Union of America Local 600, was indicted in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky on two counts of embezzling $2,484.02 in union funds between April 30, 2005 and June 28, 2006. The local is based in Newport, Kentucky, across the river from Cincinnati. (OLMS, 11/21/08).
Former Officer of Wisconsin Local Sentenced for Embezzlement
On November 12, Randy Sanders, former executive vice president of United Steelworkers of America Local 20, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin to two years probation, and was ordered to pay $7,300 in restitution plus a $1,000 fine and a $200 special assessment. He had pleaded guilty in August to two counts of embezzlement in the amount of $762.48. Another Local 20 vice president, Eugene Huss, pleaded guilty in October. (OLMS, 11/21/08).
Georgia Local President Pleads Guilty to False Record-Keeping
On October 16, Clarence Morgan, former president of Steelworkers Local 2948, pled guilty in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia to one count of filing a false financial form for the 2003 reporting year. The union is based in Columbus, Ga. (OLMS, 11/21/08).
Upstate New York Ex-Local President Charged with Theft
On October 30, Bradley Steinruck, former president of Steelworkers Local 828, was charged in City Court of Geneva, New York with grand larceny from his union in the amount of $1,987. (OLMS, 11/21/08).