American Nurses Association

Embezzlement Charges

Office of Labor-Management Enforcement

The Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) conducts both civil and criminal investigations of alleged violations of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) and related laws.

These investigations by OLMS District Offices involve issues such as embezzlements of union funds, union officer elections, the filing of required reports by unions and others with OLMS, and the imposition of trusteeships over subordinate unions by a parent body. These investigations may result in legal enforcement actions.

Date	Description
April 4th, 2008	On April 4, 2008, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Zona Albritton, former Manager of General Services for AFSCME, pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $75,446. On March 17, 2008, a criminal information was filed charging Albritton with one count of embezzlement of union funds in the same amount. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
June 26th, 2008	On June 26, 2008, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Zona Albritton, former Manager of General Services for AFSCME (located in Washington, DC), was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison to be followed by 36 months probation, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $75,446.On April 4, 2008, Albritton pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the same amount. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
March 17th, 2008	On March 17, 2008, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, a criminal information was filed charging Zona Albritton, former Manager of General Services for AFSCME, with one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $75,446. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.
December 16th, 2008	On December 16, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Sarah Crafts, former Office Manager of Texas Building and Construction Trades Council (located in Austin, Texas), was charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $27,197 and with one count of embezzlement of union funds in the amount of $17,478. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
March 11th, 2010	On March 11, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of Montana, Laura A. Brown, former President and Treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local5095 (located in Butte, Mont.), was sentenced to five years probation on one count of embezzling union funds. Brown was ordered to makerestitution,pay a special assessment of $100 and repay the cost of mental health and substance abuse treatment directed by the probation office. On November 12, 2009, Brown pled guilty to one count of embezzlingunion funds totaling $7,731.54. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office.
November 15th, 2002	On November 15, 2002, in the Circuit Court of Macon County, Illinois, Deborah Woltz, former building manager of the Allied Industrial Workers Building Association of Decatur, Illinois, was sentenced to 48 months probation and ordered to pay full restitution of $19,195.94 to the Building Association plus court costs after pleading guilty to embezzlement. The case was prosecuted by the Macon County State's Attorney following an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
April 1st, 2010	On April 1, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Linda Tickle, former office manager of Machinists Locals 56 and 1458 (located in Chattanooga, Tenn.), was sentenced to five months imprisonment, three years probation, a $200 assessment, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $40,048.72. On March 29, 2010, Tickle pled guilty to two counts of embezzlement union funds in the amount of $40,048.72. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
April 25th, 2002	On April 25, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Joyce Griffin, former office secretary of the New Orleans Metal Trades Council, was charged in a one-count information with embezzling $2,383 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
April 6th, 2006	On April 6, 2006, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Gary W. Cope, former Business Manager for Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Lodge 196, was indicted on one count of embezzling union funds totaling approximately $56,672. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
August 14th, 2002	On August 14, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Joyce Griffin, former office secretary for the New Orleans Metal Trades Council, pled guilty to embezzling $2,383 in union funds. She admitted to charging personal items to the union's charge accounts and taking cash from the union's petty cash fund. She had been charged in a one-count information on April 25, 2002, following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
August 6th, 2008	On August 6, 2008, in the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, Jose Luis Caraballo, President of Obreros Unidos del Sur de PR IND NHQ (located in Salinas, P.R.), was indicted on two counts of embezzling union funds. Caraballo is alleged to have embezzled $400,000 under the guise of medical reimbursements and payments for services rendered, meals and car expenses, and unlawfully and willfully converting $49,500 for his own use in the form of a managers check. The indictment follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office and the FBI.
December 19th, 2005	On December 19, 2005, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Phyllis Ann Pack, former office manager for the Kentucky State District Council of Carpenters, pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $3,349. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
February 14th, 2003	On February 14, 2003, in United States District Court for Western District of Wisconsin, Michael Koehler, former business manager of Electrical Workers 965, was sentenced to two years and one month in prison, three years supervised release, and ordered to make full restitution. Koehler pled guilty to embezzling $135,198 on November 8, 2002 following an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
January 9th, 2003	On January 9, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Norma J. Reedy, former treasurer of the Louisiana State American Postal Workers Union, was charged with embezzling $34,800 in union funds following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
July 13th, 2001	On July 13, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Michele Terrell Spargur, former office secretary for Carpenters Locals 364 and 1124, pled guilty to two counts of embezzling a total of $29,673 in union funds and two counts of destroying union records. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
July 20th, 2010	On July 20, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of Alaska, Thomas Renkes, former Executive Director of the Alaska Nurses Association (AaNA) (located in Anchorage, Alaska), was sentenced to thirty-six months of probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $22,546 and a $2,000 fine. On April 26, 2010, Renkes was charged with embezzling union funds. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office.
July 28th, 2008	On July 28, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, Krista Yeatts, former office manager of Machinists Lodge 2444 (located in Winston-Salem, N.C.), was indicted on one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $47,746.01. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
June 16th, 2003	On June 16, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Christopher Keith, former office manager for the Chattanooga Building and Construction Trades Council and the Chattanooga Labor Council, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment followed by three years supervised probation and ordered to pay $57,406.20 in restitution. Keith had previously pled guilty on November 22, 2002, to embezzling union funds following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office. [Related documents: HTML | PDF]
March 11th, 2003	On March 11, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Dana Moore, former office manager of the Carpenters Great Lakes Regional Industrial Council, pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds. A one-count information charging Moore with embezzling $20,079 was filed on February 4, 2003, following an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.
March 18th, 2008	On March 18, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Joseph Capece, former Business Manager and Financial-Secretary of IBEW Local Union 163, was sentenced to six months imprisonment, two years probation (to include six months in home confinement), fined $4000 and ordered to pay a special assessment fee of $100. On September 11, 2007, Capece pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $256,000. Capece had previously made restitution of the full amount, plus any other costs associated with his crime. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia District Office.
March 28th, 2006	On March 28, 2006, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Phyllis Ann Pack, former Office Manager of the Kentucky District Council of Carpenters, was sentenced to one year of probation and was ordered to pay a $500 fine and a $100 assessment. On December 19, 2005, Pack pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $3,349. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
May 12th, 2010	On May 12, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, Patrick James Brennan, former Business Manager and Secretary Treasurer of International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 711 (located in Egg Harbor Township, N.J.), pled guilty to three counts of embezzlement of union funds. Brennan used the District Councils credit card for his own benefit and personal use and that of others in the amount of $4,862.12; converted to his own use and the use of others the District Councils property, specifically a union vehicle worth approximately $11,000, and issued himself unauthorized holiday bonuses between December 22, 2004 and December 14, 2006 totaling $8,652. The plea follows an investigation by the New York District Office.
May 15th, 2003	On May 15, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Norma J. Reedy, former treasurer of the Louisiana American Postal Workers Union, was sentenced to 60 months of supervised release and ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution plus a $100 special assessment. Reedy pled guilty to embezzling $34,800 in union funds on January 23, 2003, following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
May 29th, 2003	On May 29, 2003, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Gene Malinowski, former business manager and secretary-treasurer of Boilermakers Local Lodge 1851, was indicted on one count of embezzlement and one count of aiding and abetting. The indictment was sealed until June 10, 2003 when Malinowski was arrested. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS New Haven Resident Office. [Related documents: HTML | PDF]
May 5th, 2004	On May 5, 2004, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Gene Malinowski, former secretary-treasurer and business manager of Boilermakers Lodge 1851, was sentenced to six months community confinement, six months home confinement and five years probation for conspiracy and embezzlement. Malinowski was fined $100, assessed $50 and ordered to make additional restitution in the amount of $17,205. On December 18, 2003, he was indicted on one count of conspiracy and one count of embezzlement. Since the amount in the indictment was unspecified, the loss was fixed at $81,000 during the sentencing. The sentence follows an investigation by the OLMS New Haven Resident Office.
November 20th, 2002	On November 20, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Joyce Griffin, former secretary of the New Orleans Metal Trades Department, was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay restitution of $2,383. Griffin pled guilty to one count of embezzlement on August 14, 2002, following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
November 22nd, 2002	On November 22, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Chris Keith, former office manager of the Building and Construction Trades Council in Chattanooga, was charged in a one-count information with embezzling $28,092 in union funds following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
October 24th, 2008	On October 24, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, Krista Yeatts, former office manager of Machinist Lodge 2444 (located in Winston-Salem, N.C.), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $47,746.01. On July 28, 2008, Yeatts was charged with one count of embezzling union funds in the same amount. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
October 25th, 2002	On October 25, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Dana Moore, former office manager of the Carpenters Great Lakes Regional Industrial Council, was charged in a criminal complaint with embezzling approximately $20,000 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.
October 25th, 2010	On October 25, 2010, in the United States District Court, Newark, NJ, Patrick Brennan, former Business Manager of Painters District Council 711 (located in Egg Harbor Township, NJ), was sentenced to six months incarceration and six months home confinement, and he was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $32,487.26. Brennan had previously pled guilty to embezzling $32,487.26 of funds from Painters District Council 711, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Newark Resident Investigator Office.

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