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Postal Mail Handlers

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.

DateDescription
April 19th, 2016On April 19, 2016, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Jeffrey Velfling and John Crosby, former Chief Steward and Assistant Steward, respectively, of National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU) Local 307 (located in Detroit, Mich.), were each charged in an indictment with one count of embezzling approximately $6,758 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of LaborÕs Office of Inspector General, and the United States Postal ServiceÕs Office of Inspector General.
April 19th, 2016On April 19, 2016, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Jeffrey Velfling and John Crosby, former Chief Steward and Assistant Steward, respectively, of National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU) Local 307 (located in Detroit, Mich.), were each charged in an indictment with one count of embezzling approximately $6,758 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, the Department of LaborÄôs Office of Inspector General, and the United States Postal ServiceÄôs Office of Inspector General.
April 23rd, 2014On April 23, 2014, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Anthony Davis, President of National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU) Local 314 (located in St. Louis, Mo.), was indicted on one count of embezzling $40,659 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
September 23rd, 2010On September 23, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Donald Kister, former President of National Postal Mail Handlers Local 307 (located in Detroit, MI), was charged in a two-count indictment with one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $4,137.35 between August 2006 and October 2007 and one count of making false statements. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.
December 20th, 2006On December 20, 2006, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Dennis P. Harper, former Branch President and advocate for National Postal Mail Handlers Local 304, was convicted of embezzling union funds in the amount of $2,543.10. On May 30, 2006, Harper was indicted on one count of embezzlement of union funds in the amount of $4,851.00. The conviction follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
August 7th, 2002On August 7, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, James R. Dawson, Sr., president of Postal Mail Handlers Local 325, pled guilty to embezzling $9,401 in union funds. He admitted to obtaining unauthorized cash advances with the union's credit card and using the money for gambling. Loyd C. Manning, the union's former treasurer and current comptroller, pled guilty to filing a false report. He admitted signing the union's Form LM-2 for the year 2000 knowing it contained false information in that Dawson's embezzlement of union funds was not reported. Dawson and Manning had been indicted on May 21, 2002, following a joint investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office and the Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General.
May 21st, 2002On May 21, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, James Dawson, Sr., president of Postal Mail Handlers Local 325, and Loyd Manning, comptroller and former treasurer of Postal Mail Handlers Local 325, were indicted. James Dawson, Sr. was indicted on one count of embezzling $9,401 in union funds and Loyd Manning was indicted on one count of filing a false report. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
March 20th, 2002On March 20, 2002, in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, Gwendolyn M. Meadows, former bookkeeper for Postal Mail Handlers Local 334, was indicted on one count of embezzling $27,882.16 in union funds by failing to deposit dues check-off checks and purchasing postal money orders for personal use with union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office.