Indictments

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 10th, 2019	On October 10, 2019, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Shannon Pemberton, former Treasurer of Painters Local 238 (located in Cincinnati, Ohio), was charged in a two-count indictment for embezzling $6,403 in union funds and filing a false report, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and 439(b), respectively. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati-Cleveland District Office.
July 10th, 2013	On July 10, 2013, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Tracey R. Tigner, former office secretary for International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council 91 (located in Merrillville, Ind.), was sentenced to three months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Tigner was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $30,462 and a special assessment of $100. On April 19, 2013, Tigner pled guilty to a one-count indictment for embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
April 19th, 2013	On April 19, 2013, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Tracey R. Tigner, former office secretary for International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 91 (located in Merrillville, Ind.), pled guilty to embezzlement of union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). On February 7, 2013, Tigner was indicted on the same charge. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office and the Department’s Office of Inspector General.
February 7th, 2013	On February 7, 2013, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Tracey R. Tigner, former office secretary for International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council 91 was charged with embezzling union funds from IUPAT Local 460 (located in Merrillville, Ind.), in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
November 28th, 2012	On November 28, 2012, in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, Kristine Stephens, former administrative assistant and bookkeeper for Painters Local 567 (located in Sparks, Nev.), was charged with embezzling approximately $80,000 in union funds by stealing over-the-counter cash dues payments, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco District Office.
September 18th, 2012	On September 18, 2012, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Hector Lopez, former President of Painters Local 8A-28A (located in Long Island City, N.Y.) and the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Local 8A-28A Welfare Fund, was arrested and arraigned on a 15-count indictment with charges of conspiracy to embezzle $750,000 from the local's employee benefit plan, mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, structuring financial transactions, and tax evasion. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division.
February 27th, 2012	On February 27, 2012, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Francis Mazzella, employer for members of Painters Local 8A-28A (located in Long Island City, N.Y.), waived indictment and pled guilty to a two-count information charging Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Mail Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1349 and 18 U.S.C. 371. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office.
April 25th, 2011	On April 25, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Ephram Pascall, former President/Business Manager of Painters Local 1422 (located in New York, N.Y.), was indicted on one count of embezzlement in the amount of $34,199, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge follows an investigation by OLMS New York District Office.
October 31st, 2006	On October 31, 2006, in the United States District Court for the District of Montana, Michael Kennedy, former Financial Secretary for Painters Local 720, pled guilty to embezzlement of union funds. In a previously sealed indictment, Kennedy was charged with embezzling $15,612 by writing 84 unauthorized checks to himself, for cash, and to third parties. He was also charged with forging signatures and with making false entries in union books and records. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office.
March 10th, 2004	On March 10, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, an indictment was filed against Robert Levine, former business agent-financial secretary of Painters Local 1175, charging him with two counts of embezzling $212,580.05 in union funds and embezzling $3,350.00 from an apprenticeship fund. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office.
January 24th, 2003	On January 24, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, William Brooks, former recording secretary of Painters Local 8 of Lake Station, Indiana, pled guilty to embezzling $13,755.15 in union funds. Brooks was indicted on November 15, 2001 following an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
August 21st, 2002	On August 21, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, James Clem, former business manager and financial secretary of Painters Local 80, pled guilty to embezzling $15,977 in both union funds and apprenticeship/training funds. He had been charged in a 16-count indictment following an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
November 15th, 2001	On November 15, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, William Brooks, former recording secretary of Painters Local 8, was charged in a three-count indictment with embezzling $14,480 in union funds, false recordkeeping, and aiding and abetting. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
July 9th, 2001	On July 9, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Donna Hill, former office secretary for Painters Local 970, pled guilty to count one of an indictment which charged her with embezzling $59,167 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office.