Charleston man sentenced (1 year) for stealing union money

http://www.counton2.com/cbd/news/local/article/charleston_man_sentenced_for_stealing_union_money/24630/

Published: May 8, 2009

U.S. Attorney W. Walter Wilkins said Friday that Joseph Johnson, 51, of Charleston, was sentenced to a year in prison for theft of union funds.

Federal District Judge P. Michael Duffy also sentenced Johnson to three years off supervised release following his prison term, and ordered Johnson to pay restitution.

Johnson was the formerly the secretary-treasurer and business manager of the Boilermakers Union in Charleston.

Wilkins said that from July 2004 through July 2006, Johnson embezzled $102,519 from the union.

He said Johnson wrote more than 120 union checks to various apprentices for work that was never performed. He then forged the apprentices’ signatures as the endorsee on the back of the union checks and deposited the checks into his personal bank account.

The embezzlement was discovered after the Boilermakers International Union conducted an audit of the local Boilermakers Union.