Center for Union Facts logo

Union Facts

United Food & Commercial Workers

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.

DateDescription
August 8th, 2013On August 8, 2013, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Lafayette Division, Calvin Sanders, former President of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 638C (located in Franklin, La.), was charged and pled guilty to a one-count Bill of Information for embezzling $24,028 in union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge and plea follow an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
January 8th, 2013On January 8, 2013, in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas in Ohio, Chad Petras, former Secretary Treasurer of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 342C (located in Rising Sun, Ind.), was indicted on one count of theft of union funds in the amount of $1,000 or more, in violation of Ohio Revised Code 2913.02(A)(2)[F5]. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.
July 7th, 2011On July 7, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Ernest Milewski, former President of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), Northeast District Council (located in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.), was charged in a criminal information with one count of embezzling union funds by way of unauthorized checks, unauthorized expense reimbursements, and double billing from on or about January 1, 2005 through May 15, 2008, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). Milewski was also charged with one count of violating 18 U.S.C. 669 by knowingly and willfully embezzling, stealing, or otherwise without authority converting to the use of any person, other than the rightful owner, or did intentionally misapply any of the moneys, funds, securities, premiums, credits, property, and other assets of a health care benefit program, exceeding the sum of $100, of the Northeast District Council Health and Welfare Fund, a health care benefit program. The charges follow a joint investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
September 19th, 2005On September 19, 2005, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, Michael Rice, former President of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 538, pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds totaling $30,210.92. An information was filed on September 1, 2005, charging Rice with embezzling union funds by submitting false claims for expenses incurred for fictitious meetings. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
September 1st, 2005On September 1, 2005, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, an information was filed against Michael Rice, former President of Local 538 of the United Food and Commercial Workers, charging him with one count of embezzling union funds totaling $30,210.92. The information states that Rice embezzled funds by submitting false claims for expenses incurred in attending meetings with the UFCW and AFL-CIO which never took place. The information follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
June 8th, 2004On June 8, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Brian Brabazon, former president of Chemical Workers Local 294 (United Food and Commercial Workers), was sentenced for making a willful false entry in union records. Brabazon pled guilty to the charge on March 5, 2004. He was initially indicted in September 2003, on one count of embezzling union funds; he later pled guilty to the lesser charge. Brabazon was sentenced to one year of probation, restitution in the amount of $3,672.84, and a $100 fine (which was waived). The guilty plea and sentence follow an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco District Office.
May 17th, 2004On May 17, 2004, in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, Barbara Ann Hayes, former bookkeeper and office secretary for United Food & Commercial Workers Local 990, was indicted on 35 counts of embezzling $27,248.82 in union funds The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office.
May 3rd, 2004On May 3, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, a two-count information was filed against Angelous "Smokey" Lineback, former international representative for Retail, Wholesale District Council of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, Local 1050. The information charged him with one count of embezzling $182,443 in union funds and one count of making false entries in union records. On the same date, Lineback entered a plea agreement and pled guilty. The charge and subsequent plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
April 16th, 2004On April 16, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, Julie Palmi, former bookkeeper of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1116, was sentenced to six months home confinement with work release privileges and three years probation. In addition, she was ordered to make full restitution. Palmi pled guilty on January 21, 2004, to one count of embezzling approximately $53,570 in union funds. An information charging Palmi with embezzlement was filed on October 16, 2003. This case was transferred from the District of Minnesota to the Southern District of California pursuant to the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and the consent of the parties. The charge, guilty plea, and sentence follow an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
March 11th, 2004On March 11, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, James Robinson, former president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1101, was placed on two years probation for failing to maintain union records. He was ordered to complete restitution to the union in the amount of $9,987. Robinson pled guilty to the charge on December 9, 2003. The guilty plea and sentence follow an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
March 5th, 2004On March 5, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Brian Brabazon, former president of Local 294 of the United Food and Commercial Workers (Chemical Workers Union Council) pled guilty to making a willful false entry in a union record. Brabazon had been indicted in September 2003 on one count of embezzling $3672.84 in union funds. In a plea agreement, a superseding information was filed and Brabazon pled guilty to the misdemeanor false records charge. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco District Office.
January 21st, 2004On January 21, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, Julie Palmi, former bookkeeper for United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1116, pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling approximately $53,570 in union funds. An information charging Palmi with embezzlement had been filed on October 16, 2003, following an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office. This case was transferred from the District of Minnesota to the Southern District of California pursuant to the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and the consent of the parties.
December 9th, 2003On December 9, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, James Robinson, former president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1101, pled guilty to a one count information charging him with failing to maintain union records. The charge and guilty plea follow an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
November 5th, 2003On November 5, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, an information was filed charging James Robinson, former president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1101, with one count of failing to maintain union records. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
July 1st, 2003On July 1, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Nicholas J. Torpea, former president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655, pled guilty to making a false statement to a Department of Labor investigator. Torpea lied to the investigator regarding his use of union staff for personal business. The charge was brought following an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
February 14th, 2002On February 14, 2002, in Kings County (California) Superior Court, Robert S. Ramos, former president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 193-I, entered a plea of no contest to misdemeanor theft and was sentenced to one year in the county jail and three years of supervised probation and was fined $2,700. He was also required to pay $6,000 in restitution ($1,000 was previously paid) over the next three years. The charges had been brought on November 1, 2001, following an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco District Office.