Current:Home > MyFormer Philadelphia labor union president sentenced to 4 years in embezzlement case-LoTradeCoin
Former Philadelphia labor union president sentenced to 4 years in embezzlement case
View Date:2024-12-23 14:41:11
READING, Pa. (AP) — The former president of a Philadelphia labor union has been sentenced to four years in prison for his role in what federal prosecutors said was embezzlement of more than $600,000 of union funds.
Brian Burrows, 64, of Mount Laurel, New Jersey, former president of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, was also ordered Wednesday in federal court in Reading to forfeit almost $136,000 and to pay an amount of restitution to be determined later.
Burrows and John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty, the union’s longtime business manager, were convicted in December of conspiracy, embezzlement and other counts. Prosecutors said they used the money for items including home renovations, concerts, groceries and even a cookie tray for the christening of a relative’s baby.
Dougherty is scheduled to be sentenced July 11.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Burrows addressed the court for 45 minutes, portraying himself as a faithful steward of union funds who put thousands of dollars in pension benefits, health care, and profit-sharing checks back in the pockets of members.
“That wasn’t by luck,” Burrows said repeatedly, adding that his daily job “wasn’t to see what was on John Dougherty’s expense reports.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bea Witzleben noted that she hadn’t heard an apology and said Burrows seemed to be saying that if he saved union electricians money here and there “it was OK to steal from them.”
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl criticized Burrows not only for an “egregious breach” of the trust of union members but for failing to stop wrongdoing by others, saying he had “clearly ignored the warning signs by auditors and other union officials.”
Dougherty, 63, was previously convicted of bribery for keeping a city council member on the union payroll to help keep a tight grip on construction jobs. The former council member, Bobby Henon, is serving a 3 1/2 year prison term.
veryGood! (449)
Related
- Mississippi woman pleads guilty to stealing Social Security funds
- House Republicans jump to Donald Trump's defense after he says he's target of Jan. 6 probe
- Theme Park Packing Guide: 24 Essential Items You’ll Want to Bring to the Parks This Summer
- Get Glowing Skin and Save 48% On These Top-Selling Peter Thomas Roth Products
- Jack Del Rio leaving Wisconsin’s staff after arrest on charge of operating vehicle while intoxicated
- Chinese Factories Want to Make Climate-Friendly Air Conditioners. A US Company Is Blocking Them
- Deaths of 4 women found in Oregon linked and person of interest identified, prosecutors say
- Boy, 10, suffers serious injuries after being thrown from Illinois carnival ride
- U.S.-Mexico water agreement might bring relief to parched South Texas
- A new Ford patent imagines a future in which self-driving cars repossess themselves
Ranking
- Tennessee fugitive accused of killing a man and lying about a bear chase is caught in South Carolina
- Democrats urge Republicans to rescind RFK Jr. invitation to testify
- Kylie Jenner Trolls Daughter Stormi for Not Giving Her Enough Privacy
- China is restructuring key government agencies to outcompete rivals in tech
- Kathy Bates likes 'not having breasts' after her cancer battle: 'They were like 10 pounds'
- How venture capital built Silicon Valley
- Former Child Star Adam Rich’s Cause of Death Revealed
- Inside Clean Energy: Clean Energy Wins Big in Covid-19 Legislation
Recommendation
-
Shocked South Carolina woman walks into bathroom only to find python behind toilet
-
Homes evacuated after train derailment north of Philadelphia
-
Kate Middleton Drops Jaws in Fiery Red Look Alongside Prince William at Royal Ascot
-
Former Sub Passenger Says Waiver Mentions Death 3 Times on First Page
-
New Orleans marks with parade the 64th anniversary of 4 little girls integrating city schools
-
Lina Khan is taking swings at Big Tech as FTC chair, and changing how it does business
-
Do you live in one of America's fittest cities? 2023's Top 10 ranking revealed.
-
The value of good teeth