American Nurses Association

Guilty Pleas

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.
May 27th, 2009	On May 27, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Wendy Bentzen, former information/financial manager for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 72 (located in Jefferson City, Mo.), was sentenced to six months home detention and five years of supervision for the charge of bank fraud. Bentzen was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $32,256.60 and a $100 special assessment. On September 29, 2008, Bentzen pled guilty to one count of bank fraud.The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
September 29th, 2008	On September 29, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Wendy Elaine Bentzen, former information/financial manager for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) State Council 72 (located in Jefferson City, Mo.) pled guilty to one count of bank fraud. The charge follows an investigation by the St. Louis 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.
August 1st, 2007	On August 1, 2007, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Lorraine Payton, former President of the National Federation of Federal Employees, Veterans Administration Council, pled guilty to one count of mail fraud. On March 16, 2007, Payton was charged in a superseding indictment with mail fraud and false statements to a government agency. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans 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.
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.
December 3rd, 2007	On December 3, 2007, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Darren Johnson, former President of National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 78, pled guilty to one count of bank robbery and incidental crimes. On November 16, 2007, Johnson was charged with stealing union funds in the amount of $4,756.75 that were within the care, custody, control, management, or possession of Comerica Bank. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit 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 10th, 2005	On January 10, 2005, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, James M. Duff, principal leader, organizer and manager of the Duff family business enterprise, entered a guilty plea to multiple offenses including the following: racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, 3 counts of wire fraud, 19 counts of mail fraud, 6 counts of money laundering and 3 counts of tax fraud. Duff was indicted in September 2003, for his role in defrauding the City of Chicago by fraudulently obtaining woman- and minority-owned business certifications for two of his companies. In addition, Duff fraudulently obtained government and private contracts for the two companies on the basis of the certification. The guilty plea follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office, the FBI, the IRS, and the Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General.
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 31st, 2003	On July 31, 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, was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to make restitution of $22,590.41 and perform 75 hours of community service. He had pled guilty on March 11, 2003 to a one-count information following an investigation by the OLMS Detroit 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]
June 22nd, 2010	On June 22, 2010, in the 22ND Judicial District Court of Washington Parish, Louisiana,Keith Knight, formerSecretary Treasurer ofSteelworkers Local13-1362 (located inBogalusa, La.), was sentenced to three years of supervised probation, and was ordered to pay$43,000 restitution, a fine of $500, monthly supervision fees, and court fees. OnJune 22, 2010,Knight pled guilty to theft over $500. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office and the Louisiana State Police.
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 17th, 2011	On March 17, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Charles Fleming, former President of Boilermakers Lodge 1814 (located in Bridge City, La.), pled guilty to a one count Bill of Information for making false entries in union records. Sentencing is scheduled for July 14, 2011. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans 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.
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.
October 19th, 2009	On October 19, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Harold C. Ullum, former Vice-President and West Virginia District Manager of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council of Carpenters, Ind., West Virginia District (located in Parkersburg, W.Va.), was sentenced to six months home detention, five years probation, and payment of a $20,000 fine plus a $100 special assessment. On July 13, 2009, Ullum pled guilty to a one-count information charging him with causing a false statement on an ERISA record. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh 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, 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.
October 5th, 2010	On October 5, 2010, Joseph Kerwan, Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Sheet Metal Workers Local Union 112 (located in Elmira, NY), was sentenced to 12 months of probation and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine in the Western District of New York. On May 20, 2010, Kerwan pled guilty to falsification of union records. As part of the plea and sentencing, Kerwan made full restitution to his local union totaling $6,927.55. The court action came as a result of an investigation by the Buffalo District Office.

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