criminal 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
October 28th, 2021	On October 28, 2021, in the Circuit Court of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, County of Will, State of Illinois, Patrick King, former President of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, Division of IBT, Lodge 2401 (located in Cicero, Ill.), was charged with three counts of continuing financial crimes enterprise totaling $11,203 and one count of misappropriation of financial institution property totaling $2,000 in violation of Chapter 720 of the Illinois Compiled Statutes Sections 5/17-10.6(h) and 10.6(c)(2). The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office.
May 22nd, 2017	On May 22, 2017, in Las Animas County Colorado District Court, Leo Ulibarri, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) Local Lodge 204 (located in Pueblo, Colo.), was charged in a one-count information with Theft, in violation of C.R.S. 18-4-401(1)(5). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
April 22nd, 2014	On April 22, 2014, in the Superior Court of Fulton County, Nathan Lee, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes (BMWE) Local 536 (located in Atlanta, Ga.), was charged with one count of theft by taking in the amount of $3,074, in violation of O.C.G.A. 16-8-2. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.
July 24th, 2013	On July 24, 2013, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, J.D. Richey, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local Lodge 3025 (located in Fort Wayne, Ind.), was charged in a one-count indictment for embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
January 4th, 2013	On January 4, 2013, in the Superior Court of Washington, County of Pierce, Katrina Hall, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Lodge 389 (located in Puyallup, Wash.), was charged in an information with one count of theft in the 1st degree, in violation of WA RCW 9A.56.020 (1)(b)/9A.56.030 (1)(a). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office.
September 26th, 2012	On September 26, 2012, in the District Court for Webb County, Texas, 111th Judicial District, Manuel Luebbert, former Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWE) Local 1563 (located in Laredo, Tex.), was charged with one count of breach of fiduciary property totaling $5,670, in violation of Texas Statute 32.45. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
May 23rd, 2012	On May 23, 2012, in the Adams County Wisconsin Circuit Court, Randy G. Paulson, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Sub-Lodge 1125 (located in Adams, Wis.), was charged with one count of misdemeanor theft in an amount less than $2,500, in violation of Wisconsin Statute 943.20(1)(b)&3(a). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
August 5th, 2011	On August 5, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, Michael J. Curry, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Lodge 1127 (located in Texarkana, Ark.), was sentenced to three years of supervised probation and was ordered to pay $6,996.55 in restitution. On April 15, 2011, Curry pled guilty to an information charging him with knowingly and willfully embezzling funds belonging to Lodge 1127 in the amount of $6,996.55. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office.
July 12th, 2011	On July 12, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Derrick George, the former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Sub-Lodge 76 (located in Leon, W.Va.), was charged in a one-count indictment for embezzling $19,287.42 in union funds. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
April 15th, 2011	On April 15, 2011, in the Western District of Arkansas, an information was filed against Michael Curry, former Secretary-Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWE) Lodge 1127 (located in Texarkana, Ark.), charging him with knowingly and willfully embezzling funds belonging to Lodge 1127 in the amount of $6,996.55, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). Curry pled guilty to the charge. The charge and plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office.
October 8th, 2010	On October 8, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of Eastern Pennsylvania, Amar Ali, former Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) Sub-Lodge 695 (located in Baltimore, MD), was charged in a one count information with failure to maintain union records (29 U.S.C. Section 439(a)(b)). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia District Office.
February 8th, 2010	On February 8, 2010 in United States District Court for the District of Colorado, Peter Maisel, Jr., former Secretary-Treasurer of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWED) Local Lodge 1517 (located in Pueblo, Colo.) was indicted for embezzling union funds in the amount of $10,124. The charges follow an investigation by the Denver District Office.
September 15th, 2008	On September 15, 2008, in the Seventh District Court of Carbon County, Utah, Kathleene L. Bigham, the spouse of former Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Local 779 (located in Grand Junction, Col.) Secretary-Treasurer Alfred Bigham, pled guilty to theft of union funds in the amount of $14,280, and three counts of forgery. Subsequently, Bigham was ordered to pay $800 in fines and make additional restitution in the amount of $2,022.68. Bigham previously paid restitution in the amount of $12,258. Additional sentencing will be held in abeyance for a period of two years. On June 3, 2008, an information was filed charging Bigham with theft of union funds in the same amount, and three counts of forgery. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office.
June 3rd, 2008	On June 3, 2008, in the Seventh District Court of Carbon County, Utah, an information was filed against Kathleene L. Bigham, the spouse of former Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Local 779 (located in Grand Junction, Col.) Secretary-Treasurer Alfred Bigham, charging her with theft of over $14,680 in union funds, and three counts of forgery. The charge follows an investigation by OLMS Denver District Office.
September 12th, 2005	On September 12, 2005, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Beaver County Court, Beth Ann Shanor, former employee of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Sub-Lodge 3094, was charged in a two-count criminal complaint with embezzling $5,586.70 in union funds. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 14, 2005. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office.
July 14th, 2003	On July 14, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Willie Corbett, former Local Lodge Delegate of Maintenance of Way Employees Lodge 616, was sentenced to three years probation and fined $500. He was previously charged with falsifying union records on September 25, 2002, following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office. Corbett pled guilty to the charge on May 6, 2003.
May 21st, 2003	On May 21, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Ronald B. Alston, former secretary-treasurer of Maintenance of Way Employees Lodge 563, was indicted for embezzling $9,846 in union funds and making false entries in required union records. These charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
September 25th, 2002	On September 25, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Willie Corbett, former delegate of Maintenance of Way Employees Lodge 616, was indicted for the concealment of a union record. The indictment charges that he concealed details of his travel expenses on a union record. These charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
March 13th, 2002	On March 13, 2002, in the United States District Court for the District of Utah, Jill C. Gonzales, spouse of a former secretary-treasurer of Maintenance of Way Employees Local 1227, pled guilty to mail fraud relating to a loss of union funds. The charges had been brought earlier following an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office.