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
December 19th, 2018	On December 19, 2018, in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Newport News Division, Benjamin Wisecarver, former President of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 264 (located in Hampton, Va.), pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and embezzle union assets for embezzling $57,310 from the union, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office and the Department of LaborÄôs Office of Inspector General.
October 3rd, 2013	On October 3, 2013, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Ira Alper, former Treasurer of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) District 9 (located in Madison, Wis.), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds totaling $76,768, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). On August 5, 2013, an information was filed against Alper for the same charge. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
February 1st, 2013	On February 1, 2013, John McNamee, former President of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 829 in New York, New York, was sentenced to one year of imprisonment, two years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $25,000 fine. McNamee made full restitution prior to the sentencing. In October 2012, McNamee pled guilty to one count of embezzlement in the amount of $150,000 in labor union funds. An OLMS investigation found that between January 2004 and February 2011, McNamee used the union credit card to cover personal expenses, including jewelry, clothing, restaurant bills, entertainment tickets, and vacations for himself and his family.
October 16th, 2012	On October 16, 2012, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, John McNamee, President of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 829 (located in New York, N.Y.), pled guilty to one count of embezzlement in the amount of $150,000, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge follows an investigation by OLMS New York District Office.
September 13th, 2010	On September 13, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota, Paul Wyatt, former Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Stage and Picture Operators (IATSE) Local 220 (located in Sioux Falls, S.D.), was sentenced to six months incarceration followed by six months of home confinement, as well as three years supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $35,023 and a special assessment of $100. On June 23, 2010, Wyatt pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $35,023. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
June 29th, 2010	On June 29, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota, Paul Wyatt, former Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Stage and Picture Operators Local 220 (located in Sioux Falls, S.D.), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $35,022.95. On May 4, 2010, Wyatt was indicted for embezzling union funds in the same amount. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
July 28th, 2008	On July 28, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, Darrell Pendergrass, former President of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 699 (located in Bristol, Va.), was sentenced to one year and a day in prison to be followed by three years of probation. Also, Pendergrass was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $70,336 and pay any fines owed to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Pendergrass previously made restitution in the amount of $53,000. On April 4, 2008, Pendergrass pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $70,336 and one count of willfully evading the payment of taxes. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office and the IRS.
April 4th, 2008	On April 4, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, a criminal information was filed charging Darrell Pendergrass, former President of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 699, with one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $70,336 and one count of willfully evading the payment of taxes. Subsequently, Pendergrass pled guilty to both counts. The criminal information and plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office and the IRS.
January 30th, 2008	On January 30, 2008, in the Circuit Court of Kanawha County, West Virginia, Timothy A. Wilson, former employee of the Stage and Picture Operators Local 271, was sentenced to two years probation for forgery. On November 16, 2007, Wilson pled guilty to a one count felony charge of forgery in the amount of $168. Prior to the investigation, Wilson paid restitution in the amount of $16,750. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office.
May 24th, 2007	On May 24, 2007, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, James Russell, former Treasurer of Stage & Picture Operators Local 9, located in Syracuse, NY, was sentenced to five years probation, which includes six months of home confinement, and ordered to make restitution. On January 19, 2007, Russell pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $54,776.65. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Buffalo District Office.
January 19th, 2007	On January 19, 2007, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, James Russell, former Treasurer for Stage & Picture Operators Local 9 pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $54,776.65. On April 19, 2006, Russell was indicted on one count of embezzling union funds in the same amount. The conviction follows an investigation by the OLMS Buffalo District Office.
January 30th, 2006	On January 30, 2006, Donald Dixon, former treasurer and bookkeeper for Stage and Picture Operators (IATSE) Local 623, pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds. He was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to pay a $100 fine. He was also ordered to make restitution in the amount of $40,152. The plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Tampa Resident Investigator Office.
November 18th, 2005	On November 18, 2005, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Donald Dixon, former Treasurer and bookkeeper for Stage and Picture Operators (IATSE) Local Union 623, pled guilty to embezzling union funds. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Dixon is ordered to make restitution to the union in the amount of $106,152 and to pay a special assessment of $100. Dixon was indicted on July 28, 2005. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Tampa Resident Investigator Office.
June 17th, 2004	On June 17, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Paul B. Ladner, former treasurer of Stage & Picture Operators (IATSE) Local 674, was sentenced to six months home confinement under the electronic monitoring device program followed by three years probation for failing to maintain union records. He was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $7,162.50 and to pay a $25 special assessment. On March 29, 2004, Ladner pled guilty to the charge following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
March 29th, 2004	On March 29, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Paul Bruce Ladner, former treasurer for Stage and Picture Operators Local Union 674, pled guilty to a one count information charging him with failure to maintain union records. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
June 26th, 2003	On June 26, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, Don Hild, a member of the Stage and Picture Operators, Local 69, pled guilty to falsifying union records. He had been charged in an information on June 23, 2003, following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
May 21st, 2003	On May 21, 2003 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, William Klyce, former business agent for the Stage and Picture Operators, Local 69, pled guilty to falsifying union records. He had been charged in an information on March 26, 2003, following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
April 23rd, 2003	On April 23, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, Thomas Brown, a member of Stage and Picture Operators Local 69, pled guilty to falsifying union records. Brown was charged with making and causing false entries to be made in required union records (while being aided and abetted by others) on March 26, 2003, following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
March 11th, 2003	On March 11, 2003, in the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota, Jo Ann Vaughn, former treasurer of Stage and Picture Operators Local 220, was sentenced to six months home confinement and five years probation. She was also ordered to make restitution of $29,175 to Local 220 and to pay $1,375 to Local 220 officers to reimburse them for costs incurred in the investigation. She had pled guilty to one count of embezzling approximately $29,000 in union funds following an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
December 12th, 2002	On December 12, 2002, in the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota, Jo Ann Vaughn, former treasurer of Stage and Picture Operators Local 220, pled guilty to one count of embezzling approximately $33,000 (not exceeding $29,000 in union funds). Vaughn was indicted on October 22, 2002, on one count of embezzlement and one count of fraud for causing a false report to be made. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
November 6th, 2002	On November 6, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Tony Evans, former secretary-treasurer of Stage and Picture Operators Local 197, pled guilty to a one-count bill of information and was sentenced to six months of home confinement followed by two years of supervised probation and fined $1,000. The information charged Evans with embezzling $16,319 in union funds that he repaid prior to being sentenced. The charge was brought following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
August 14th, 2002	On August 14, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Tony Evans, former treasurer of Stage and Picture Operators Local 197, pled guilty to a one-count information charging him with embezzling $16,319.56 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
November 20th, 2001	On November 20, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Keith R. Sharp, former business agent for Stage and Picture Operators Local 132, was sentenced to six months home detention with electronic monitoring and three years probation and was ordered to make restitution of $7,873. He had pled guilty on September 6, 2001, following an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.
September 6th, 2001	On September 6, 2001, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Keith Sharp, former business agent for Stage and Picture Operators Local 132, pled guilty to a one-count information charging him with embezzling $7,873.91 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.