The guilty plea by Linda Rogers was inevitable. Look no further than her daughter for an explanation. On January 12, Rogers, former secretary-treasurer of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 2254, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey to embezzling $40,455 from the union’s checking and savings accounts. She and her daughter, Jennifer Rogers, had been indicted on one count each last August; the daughter pleaded guilty on December 1. AFSCME Local 2254 represents various employees at Jersey City Medical Center. The actions follow an investigation by the U.S. Labor Department’s Office of Labor-Management Standards.
According to prosecutors, Linda Rogers, now 71, a resident of Jersey City, during July 2016-August 2017 used her position to write 112 checks and then deposit them to accounts jointly controlled by her and her daughter. These checks, which totaled $35,267, were unrelated to union business. In addition, during October-December 2016 the elder Rogers made six wire transfers from the local savings account totaling $5,188 to pay personal credit card bills. The role of the daughter, an employee at Jersey City Medical Center, was forging the signature of the union president, with her mother’s full knowledge. Linda Rogers’ sentencing is scheduled for May 25.