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Union Facts

Stage & Picture Operators

embezzlement 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
December 19th, 2018On 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.
March 19th, 2014On March 19, 2014, in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, John Brennan, former Secretary-Treasurer of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 23 (located in Providence, R.I.), was indicted on three counts of embezzlement of labor union funds in the amount of $33,546, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c); three counts of embezzlement from an employee benefit plan in the amount of $40,510, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 664; and seven counts of mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1341. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
October 3rd, 2013On 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.
August 5th, 2013On August 5, 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.), was charged in an information for embezzlement of union funds totaling approximately $76,768, in violation 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
February 1st, 2013On 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, 2012On 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.
February 16th, 2012On February 16, 2012, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, John McNamee, former President and Secretary-Treasurer of Stage & Picture Operators Local 829 (located in New York, N.Y.), was arrested following the filing of a criminal indictment for embezzling approximately $240,000 in union funds and filing false reports, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and 29 U.S.C. 439(b). From January 2004 through February 2011, McNamee is alleged to have used the union’s corporate credit cards to make personal charges. The arrest and charge follow an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office.
September 13th, 2010On 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, 2010On 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.
May 4th, 2010On May 4, 2010, in United States District Court for the District of South Dakota, Paul Wyatt, former President/Business Manager of Stage and Picture Operators (IATSE) Local 220 (located in Sioux Falls, S.D.), was indicted on one count of embezzlement of union funds in the approximate amount of $35,022.95. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
October 6th, 2009On October 6, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Teresa Cora Luna, former office manager/bookkeeper of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 504 (located in Anaheim, Calif.), was sentenced to five months in federal prison and five months in a community corrections facility, to be followed by a three year period of supervised release and a 13-year bar from future union officer or employment service following her release. Additionally, Luna was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $67,416.21 and a $100 assessment. On September 26, 2008, Luna was charged with embezzling union funds in the same amount from November 2004 through June 2005. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.
July 28th, 2008On 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, 2008On 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.
May 24th, 2007On 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, 2007On 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.
April 19th, 2006On April 19, 2006, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, James G. Russell, Jr., former Secretary-Treasurer for Stage and Picture Operators Local 9 was indicted on one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $54,776.65. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Buffalo District Office.
January 30th, 2006On 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, 2005On 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.
August 17th, 2005On August 17, 2005, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, Kathy Jacobsen, former Secretary-Treasurer of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts AFL-CIO (IATSE) Local 69, was charged in a two-count indictment with one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $10,000 and one count of making false entries in union records. The indictment resulted from an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
March 11th, 2003On 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, 2002On 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, 2002On 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.
October 22nd, 2002On October 22, 2002, in the United States District Court for South Dakota, Jo Ann Vaughn, former treasurer of Stage and Picture Operators Local 220, was indicted on one count of causing a false report in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001 and one count of embezzling approximately $33,000 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
August 14th, 2002On 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.
September 6th, 2001On 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.