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Union Facts

Asbestos Workers

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.

DateDescription
June 16th, 2008On June 16, 2008, in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, John Dabronzo, former Business Agent/Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) Administrator of Asbestos Workers Local 89 (located in Atlantic City, NJ), pled guilty to two counts of embezzlement of union funds. Between January 2000 and May 2007, Dabronzo embezzled funds in the amount of $433,308.47 from Local 89, and $396,454.73 from the JATC. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office.
August 25th, 2005On August 25, 2005, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Dana Lockwood, former Treasurer of Asbestos Workers Local 49, was sentenced to five months in prison, five months home confinement, and ordered to make full restitution. Lockwood had previously been charged on March 23, 2005 with embezzling $64,255.55 in union funds. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
March 23rd, 2005On March 23, 2005, in United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Dana Lockwood, former treasurer of Local 49, the Asbestos Workers Union, pled guilty to a one-count information charging him with embezzling $64,255.55 in union funds. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
January 31st, 2003On January 31, 2003, in United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Michael Van Bibber, former business manager of Asbestos Workers Local 87, was sentenced to ten months confinement, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $30,260. Van Bibber pled guilty to embezzling union funds on August 9, 2002, following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
August 9th, 2002On August 9, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Michael Van Bibber, former business manager/financial secretary of Asbestos Workers Local 87, pled guilty to embezzling $30,260.57 in union funds. He admitted to charging personal expenses to the union's credit card, obtaining duplicate expense reimbursements, and taking cash from union receipts. He had been indicted on June 5, 2002, following an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.