Union Corruption Report: December 2011
January 5th 2012 · 0 Comments
On December 15, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Vicki Guynn, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1612 (located in Springfield, Mo.), pled guilty to a one-count information charging her with wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General.
On December 14, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Rodney Richerson, former Financial Secretary of Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics & Allied Workers International Union (GMP) Local 238 (located in Kokomo, Ind.), pled guilty to an information charging him with embezzlement in the amount of $100,195, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). Richerson was then sentenced to four months incarceration, eight months home detention, two years supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $100,195 and a $100 special assessment. The guilty plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
On December 14, 2011, in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas in Columbus, Ohio, Helen Stupka, former office secretary for the Ohio State Plumbers Association (located in Columbus, Ohio), pled guilty to embezzling $13,372.91. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.
On December 13, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Amy Pullen, former Secretary-Treasurer of National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 1106 (located in Mayfield, Ky.), was indicted on one count of embezzlement in the amount of $4,876, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
On December 13, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Robert Cole, former Financial Secretary of Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) Local 124 (located in Irons, Mich.), was sentenced to two years probation with the first six months on home detention without electronic monitoring. Cole was also ordered to pay $11,605.59 in restitution and a $150 special assessment. On August 11, 2011, Cole pled guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds in the amount of $11,605.59, one count of filing a false report, and one count of making false entries in union records. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.
On December 12, 2011, in the Cerro Gordo County, Iowa District Court, Kenneth Schmidt, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) Local 656 (located in Mason City, Iowa), was sentenced to up to five years in the Iowa Department of Corrections, with execution of the sentence suspended and was placed on probation for three years. Schmidt was also ordered to pay $1,373 in restitution and a $750 fine. On November 29, 2011, Schmidt pled guilty to one count of Theft in the 2nd Degree, in violation of Iowa Statute 714.2. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
On December 12, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Federck C. Petro, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2094 (located in New York, N.Y.), was charged in a criminal complaint with embezzling $112,477 in union funds in a federal enclave, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 661. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office.
On December 9, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, Stephen Koski, former Secretary-Treasurer of Machinists Lodge 1027 (located in Clarksburg, W.Va.), was sentenced to one year probation and was ordered to pay a $500 fine for embezzling union funds. On the day of sentencing, Koski paid full restitution of $1,517.04. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office.
On December 8, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Joyce Wheeler, former Secretary-Treasurer of Independent Store Employees Union (located in O’Fallon, Mo.), was sentenced to six months home confinement, four years probation and was ordered to pay $24,865 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. On September 1, 2011, Wheeler pled guilty to one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
On December 6, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois – Western District, William Kiddell, former Financial Secretary of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 592 (located in Rockford, Ill.), was sentenced to three years probation and was ordered to pay $7,152.18 in restitution. On August 29, 2011, Kiddell pled guilty to making false entries in union records, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On December 2, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, an information was filed against Joseph Meizlik, former President of Security, Police, Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA) Local 454 (located in Fort Lee, Va.), charging him with one count of embezzling $9,122.44 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
On December 2, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Peggy Bolen, former Financial Secretary for Steelworkers Local 898 (located in Redfield, Ark.), was sentenced to five years probation and was ordered to pay $61,541.28 in restitution and a $100 fine. On August 17, 2011, Bolen pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $61,541.28. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office.
On December 2, 2011, in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, Thomas M. Chavez, former Secretary-Treasurer of Steelworkers Local 12-659 (located in Questa, N.M.), pled guilty to one charge of embezzlement of union funds in the amount of $16,965.54, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office.
On December 1, 2011, in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, an information and plea agreement were filed against Kenneth Aurecchia, Plumbers International Vice President and former business manager of Plumbers Local 51 (located in East Providence, R.I.), charging him with one count of Wire Fraud totaling $107,514, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343, and one count of Making and Subscribing a False Return totaling $17,886, in violation of 26 U.S.C. 7206. The charges and plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Boston District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the Treasury Department’s Criminal Investigative Division.
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Criminal Enforcement Actions 2011
An indictment is a formal accusation or charge based on a finding by a Grand Jury that it is likely that the person charged committed the criminal offense described in the indictment and is the means by which an accused person (defendant) is brought to trial. An indictment raises no inference of guilt. As in all criminal cases, each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
An information is a formal accusation of a crime by a government attorney rather than a Grand Jury. An information raises no inference of guilt. As in all criminal cases, each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
A charge is an accusation of criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. As in all criminal cases, each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Each count is a separate and distinct offense charged in an indictment or information.
A guilty plea is a defendant’s admission to the court that he or she committed the offense charged and an agreement to waive the right to a trial.
A conviction is a judgment based on a jury’s verdict, judge’s finding, or the defendant’s admission that the defendant is guilty of the crime charged.
A sentence is a judicial determination of the punishment to be imposed on an individual who has plead guilty or has been convicted by a jury or judge of a criminal offense.
Source: Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS)
Tags: AFGE, American Federation of Government Employees, BLET, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, Fire Professionals of America, Machinists, National Association of Letter Carriers, Ohio State Plumbers Association, OLMS, Police, Security, SPFPA, Steelworkers, UAW, Union Corruption, Union Corruption Report, United Auto Workers, Utility Workers Union of America
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