


Note: An indictment is the method by which a person is charged with 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.
On February 29, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Billy Chandler, former Secretary-Treasurer of NALC Branch 4065, was sentenced to six months probation for embezzling union funds in the amount of $31,947.93. On October 17, 2007, Chandler pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the same amount. Chandler had previously made restitution of the full amount. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office.
On February 29, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Kirk Ogden, former organizer for Painters District 81, was charged with embezzling union funds in the amount of $8,653. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
On February 29, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Frances Pagan, former President of Boilermakers Local Lodge 3M, pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $17,415. On February 26, 2008, an information was filed against Pagan charging him with embezzling union funds in the same amount. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.
On February 28, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Western District of New York, William Drake, former President of Steelworkers Local 1013T, was sentenced to two years supervised probation, ordered to perform 260 hours of community service, ordered to make restitution in the amount of $3,497.06, and fined $500. On November 28, 2007, Drake pled guilty to knowingly failing to disclose material facts on the local’s annual financial report for years 2001, 2002, and 2003. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Buffalo District Office.
On February 28, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Michelle Trinh, former assistant administrator of the Writers Guild of America-West Foreign Levies Fund, was charged with conspiracy to embezzle and embezzlement of union funds. From December 2006 to February 2007, Trinh and her accomplice, Tracy Howze, used checks from the fund to embezzle union funds in the amount of $17,228.61. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
On February 26, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, an information was filed against Kyle Batts, former Secretary-Treasurer of Electrical Workers Local 738, charging him with embezzling union funds in the amount of $40,580.83. Subsequently, Batts pled guilty and agreed to pay restitution. The information and plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office.
On February 25, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Curtis Smith, former President of Glass Molders Plastics Local 325, was sentenced to five years probation and up to six months electronic monitoring for embezzling union funds. Smith had previously made restitution of the full amount. On November 19, 2007, Smith pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $904.48. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office.
On February 22, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, Ronald Schweitzer, former President of Steelworkers Local 1967, was sentenced to time served (three days), three years supervised release, ten months home detention, and ordered to pay restitution and a $100 special assessment for embezzling union funds in the amount of $58,308.30. On October 29, 2007, Schweitzer pled guilty to embezzling union funds in the amount of $58,305. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
On February 22, 2008, in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, Paula Adair-Butts, former office secretary of Plasterers Local 577, was sentenced to five years probation, ordered to make restitution and pay a $100 special assessment fee. On December 5, 2007, Adair-Butts pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $27,842. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office.
On February 19, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, an embezzlement investigation conducted by the OLMS Dallas District Office resulted in the subject entering into a Pre-Trial Diversion Agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, the subject agreed to make restitution. Due to the confidential nature of the Pre-Trial Diversion program, details that could identify the subject are not public information.
On February 19, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Martin Hayes, former Secretary-Treasurer of Steelworkers Local 1671, pled guilty to one count of embezzling money from a labor organization. On June 6, 2007, Hayes was charged with embezzling union funds in the amount of $9,033.25.The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office.
On February 15, 2008, the Division of International Union Audits (DIUA) within the Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) sent an opening letter to the International Union of Journeyman and Allied Trades (IUJAT) to initiate an audit under the International Compliance Audit Program (I-CAP). The IUJAT is headquartered in Danbury, CT. DIUA intends to begin on-site audit work during the week of April 14, 2008.
On February 15, 2008, the Division of International Union Audits (DIUA) within the Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) sent an opening letter to the American Association of Classified School Employees (AACSE) to initiate an audit under the International Compliance Audit Program (I-CAP). The AACSE is headquartered in Washington, DC. DIUA intends to begin on-site audit work during the week of April 14, 2008.
On February 14, 2008, in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, Randy Greear, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Local 37, was sentenced to two years probation, which includes six months of home detention, and a fine of $2,000. Greear had previously made full restitution to the union. On November 21, 2007, Greear pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $22,691.60. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
On February 13, 2008, in Monroe County, Wisconsin Circuit Court, Carson Combs, former Secretary-Treasurer of Machinists Local Lodge 1771, was found guilty of theft. Subsequently, Combs was sentenced to one year probation, ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $410.30 plus a ten percent surcharge, and 40 hours of community service. The trial and sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
On February 8, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Betty Illig, former Secretary-Treasurer for Graphic Communications Workers Local 638-S and the Tri-State District Joint Council, pled guilty to embezzling $145,675 in union funds and submitting false Form LM-3 reports. The plea follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General.
On February 8, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Carolyn M. Wallace, former President of Steelworkers Local 02-356, pled guilty to embezzling union funds in the amount of $25,200. On December 13, 2007, Wallace was charged with one count of embezzling union funds in the same amount. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
On February 7, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, Bridgett Cardall Hooks, former Secretary-Treasurer of Postal Workers Local 332, pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $10,820.17. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
On February 7, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, an information was filed charging Brian Dolney, former President of Machinists Lodge 2333, with one count of bank fraud totaling $11,565. Donley fraudulently negotiated union checks at the Security National Bank in Springfield, Ohio. The charge follows an investigation by the Cincinnati District Office.
On February 6, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Denise Nichols, former Secretary-Treasurer of CWA Local 4050, was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay a special assessment of $100. On October 12, 2007, Nichols pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $3,804.20. Nichols had previously paid restitution in the amount of $6,162. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.
On February 6, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, an information was filed against Francis Pagan, former President of Boilermakers Local Lodge 3M, charging him with embezzling $17,415 in union funds. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.
On February 6, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Chad Mowery, former Secretary-Treasurer of BLE Division 282, was charged with embezzling $2,537 in union funds. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
On February 4, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, an information was filed against Pauline M. Gibson, former President of the Drivers, Warehousemen, Maintenance and Allied Workers of America, Local 1, charging her with making a false statement and representation of a material fact, knowing it to be false, on the local’s annual financial report. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
On February 4, 2008, in the Douglas County, Wisconsin Circuit Court, John Sigafus, former Secretary-Treasurer of Machinists Local W-335, pled no contest to theft of union funds in the amount of $2,500 or less. Subsequently, Sigafus was sentenced to one year probation and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $5,363.91. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
(dol.gov)