Local prosecutors in Brockton, Massachusetts are saying “later” to restitution money – at least until they hear another word: “guilty.” Susan Elliott, former secretary-treasurer of Local 1162 of the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) in Brockton, Massachusetts, had been charged on March 24 with theft of $24,795 in union funds. She entered a not-guilty plea and was released without bail.
Prosecutors allege that on several occasions she made fraudulent use of the union’s ATM card. Elliott, 47, a resident of nearby Lakeville, Mass., expressed a desire to make restitution at her May 5 arraignment in Brockton District Court, but prosecutors are adamant about the case proceeding to trial. LIUNA Local 1162 represents about 400 Brockton city employees. Elliott had worked in the city auditor’s office before resigning in April. The charge follows an investigation by the Labor Department’s Office of Labor-Management Standards. (Associated Press, 5/6/09; OLMS, 4/21/09).