On March 1, 2023, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Robert Henon, a former employee of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 98 (located in Philadelphia, Pa.) and a Philadelphia City Councilman, was sentenced to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $207,948 in forfeiture, a $50,000 fine, and a $1,000 assessment. On November 15, 2021, Henon was found guilty following a five-week trial of one count of conspiracy, eight counts of honest services wire fraud, and one count of bribery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371, 18 U.S.C. 1343, 1346, and 18 U.S.C. 666(a)(1)(B), respectively. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.
On February 23, 2023, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, James Bradley, an associate of a former employee of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) national union (located in Washington, D.C.), was sentenced to 15 months in prison, 36 months of probation, and 200 hours of community service. Bradley was also ordered to pay restitution of $205,421. On November 7, 2022, Bradley pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit embezzlement, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On February 22, 2023, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Matthew Archer, former Secretary-Treasurer of Laborers Local 1325 (formerly located in Indianapolis, Ind.), pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud for embezzling $91,951 in union funds and filing false LM reports, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343. He was then sentenced to five years of probation and 50 hours of community service. He was ordered to pay $84,462 in restitution and a $200 special assessment. Archer previously paid $9,489 in restitution. The guilty plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
On February 17, 2023, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Lisa Bennett, former Business Agent/Secretary Treasurer of Office of Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 204 (located in Pascagoula, Miss.), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling $33,236 in union funds. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On February 15, 2023, in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, Crystal Mathis, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1812 (located in Washington, D.C.), pleaded guilty to one count of theft in the first degree for embezzling $11,574 from the union, in violation of 22 D.C. Code Sections 3211 and 3212(a). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
On February 14, 2023, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Donald Byers, former Treasurer of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) Division 287 (located in Ashville, Pa.), was indicted on one count of embezzling $45,373 in union funds and one count of falsification of records, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and 29 U.S.C. 439(c), respectively. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.
On February 9, 2023, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Western Division, Brent Toppert, former Secretary-Treasurer of Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA) Local 238 (located in Morrison, Ill.), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The government contends in the plea agreement that Toppert converted SPFPA money and assets with a total approximate value of $63,713 to his personal use. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee and Chicago District Offices.
On February 7, 2023, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Anthony Landin, former Secretary Treasurer of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 6110 (located in Laredo, Tex.), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
On January 30, 2023, in the Providence Superior Court in Providence, Rhode Island, Dennis Stone, former President of Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Local Lodge 13 (located in North Providence, R.I.), was indicted with three counts of embezzlement over $100, in violation of R.I. General Laws 11-41-3, and six counts of filing a false tax return, in violation of R.I. General Laws 44-30-51(a) and 44-30-94(a)(1). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On January 30, 2023, in the Providence Superior Court in Providence, Rhode Island, Christopher Petteruti, former Treasurer of Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Local Lodge 13 (located in North Providence, R.I.), was indicted with two counts of embezzlement over $100, in violation of R.I. General Laws 11-41-3. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
On January 25, 2023, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Crystal Mathis, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1812 (located in Washington, D.C.), was charged with one count of theft in the first degree, in violation of D.C. Code 22-3211 and 22-3212(a). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
On January 18, 2023, in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska, Donald Fox, former Secretary-Treasurer of National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 1836 (located in Scottsbluff, Neb.), was indicted on one count of embezzlement of union funds in the amount of $24,620 and four counts of filing false reports, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and 29 U.S.C. 439(b), respectively. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
On January 17, 2023, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, Albert Jennings Jr., former Secretary-Treasurer of Transportation Communications Union (TCU) Lodge 6061 (located in Roanoke, Va.), was sentenced to six months in prison, three months of home detention, one year of probation, and 300 hours of community service. Jennings was also ordered to pay a $500 fine. Jennings made full restitution of $39,331 prior to sentencing. On September 29, 2022, Jennings pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
On January 17, 2023, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Western Division, Brent Toppert, former Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA) Local 238 (located in Morrison, Ill.), was charged in a criminal information with one count of embezzlement from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee and Chicago District Offices.
On January 10, 2023, in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, Manuel Anaya, former Financial Secretary of United Mine Workers for America (UMWA) Local 3106 (located in Socorro, N.M.), was indicted for 21 counts of embezzlement from a labor organization, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.