Posts tagged gambling
Illinois union boss embezzled funds
April 24, 2023 // A former union president in Illinois admitted to transporting stolen money after being caught embezzling over $200,000 from Local 214 of the American Federation of State, City, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Byron Clemons, Sr. pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen money from the local union in Alton, Illinois, where he served as president from 2017 to 2022. Prosecutors found that Clemons embezzled $202,100 from the local union’s bank account between February 2021 and January 2022 to pay for gambling and personal expenses. U.S. government officials blasted Clemons’s embezzlement as a selfish misuse of membership dues.
The Largest Teachers Union Embezzlements of All Time
February 8, 2023 // Denise Inez Owens was the treasurer of the Worcester County Teachers Association when she stole more than $433,000 of state and national dues money to feed her gambling addiction. The Maryland State Education Association discovered the theft in March 2009, but did not report it to authorities. Instead the union persuaded Owens to sign a confession and agree to a restitution plan. Owens then resigned her union position and returned to work as a middle school teacher without notifying the school district or union members of her crime. A newspaper discovered the incident three years later when the state union filed an insurance claim for its losses, and stated the theft was “not reported because of potential impact on membership and loss of members.”
Former UAW treasurer pleads guilty to stealing more than $2M in union funds
March 30, 2022 // The former treasurer and secretary for UAW Local 412 pleaded guilty to charges of embezzling union funds and money laundering after he stole more than $2 million in union funds. According to the Associated Press, Timothy Edmunds, 54, entered his plea last Friday during an appearance in U.S. District Court.