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
January 22nd, 2018	On January 22, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Matthew Smith, former Treasurer of Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 576 (located in Hurst, Tex.), was sentenced to 10 months in prison and one year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $300,848 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. On October 4, 2017, Smith pleaded guilty to embezzling union funds from Local 576, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
October 6th, 2017	On October 6, 2017, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Matt Smith, former Secretary-Treasurer of Transport Workers Local 576 (located in Hurst, Tex.), pled guilty to the one count of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.
October 25th, 2016	On October 25, 2016, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Roy Murray, former President of Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 2014 (located in Chicago, Ill.), was sentenced to two years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $31,111 and a special assessment of $25. Murray was also ordered to serve 80 hours of community service. On July 25, 2016, Murray pled guilty to one count of making a false entry in a union record, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
July 25th, 2016	On July 25, 2016, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Roy Murray, former President of Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 2014 (located in Chicago, Ill.), pled guilty to one count of making a false statement in a union record, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
July 21st, 2016	On July 21, 2016, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Simiel Campbell, former President of the Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 2014 (located in Chicago, Ill.), was sentenced to three years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $11,700 and a special assessment of $25. Campbell was also ordered to serve 80 hours of community service. On March 24, 2016, Campbell pled guilty to one count of making a material false statement and representation on the Form LM-3 for fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
March 24th, 2016	On March 24, 2016, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Simiel Campbell, former President of Transport Workers Union Local 2014 (located in Chicago, Ill.), pled guilty to one count of making a material false statement and representation on the Form LM-3 for fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). An information filed on March 22, 2016, charged Campbell with one count of 29 U.S.C. 439(b), superseded a one-count indictment filed on December 18, 2013, which charged Campbell with embezzling approximately $19,400 in union funds in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
December 12th, 2013	On December 12, 2013, in the United States District Court for the Western District of New York, David Kellner, former President of Transport Workers Local 2020 (located in Grand Island, N.Y.), was sentenced to six months of home detention with electronic monitoring and two years of probation. Kellner was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $12,226, a fine of $2,000, and a special assessment of $25. On September 12, 2013, Kellner pled guilty to a one-count misdemeanor of making a false statement on an annual report to conceal an embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office.
September 12th, 2013	On September 12, 2013, in the United States District Court for the Western District of New York, David Kellner, former President of Transport Workers Local 2020 (located in Grand Island, N.Y.), pled guilty to a one-count information charging him with making a false statement on an annual report to conceal an embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(b). The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Buffalo District Office.
June 3rd, 2013	On June 3, 2013, in the 396th District Court of Tarrant County, Texas, Kady Tucker, former office secretary of Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 575 (located in Euless, Tex.), received deferred adjudication at sentencing. Tucker was sentenced to five years of probation, and was ordered to complete 120 hours of community service and make restitution in the amount of $2777. On the same date, Tucker pled guilty to three counts of forgery, in violation of Texas Penal Code 32.21. The plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office.
December 4th, 2003	On December 4, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Percella Roper, former bookkeeper for Transport Workers (TWU) Local 234, was sentenced to six months home confinement and five years probation for embezzlement and aiding and abetting. She was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $98,132 which will come from her union pension, including a $20,000 payment to be received by the court within five days of the sentencing. On June 10, 2003, Roper was indicted on one count of embezzlement and one count of aiding and abetting in the embezzlement. She pled guilty on September 4, 2003. The sentence follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia District Office.
September 4th, 2003	On September 4, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Percella Roper, former bookkeeper of Transport Workers Local 234 pled guilty to an information charging her with one count of embezzlement and aiding and abetting in the embezzlement of $98,132.00 in union funds. The information stated that Roper (1) deposited $50,058 in union funds into a savings account that she kept at the TWU Credit Union, (2) converted $2,458 in union funds to pay union dues for herself and other union clerical employees, (3) assisted a TWU Local 234 officer in the embezzlement of $26,935 from Local 234 picnics, and (4) assisted the same officer in the embezzlement of $18,681 in cash receipts for sales of union clothing. Charges were filed on June 10, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania following a joint investigation by the FBI and the OLMS Philadelphia District Office.