An indictment is a formal accusation or charge based on a finding by a Grand Jury that it is likely that the person charged committed the criminal offense described in the indictment and is the means by which an accused person (defendant) is brought to trial. An indictment raises no inference of guilt. As in all criminal cases, each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

An information is a formal accusation of a crime by a government attorney rather than a Grand Jury.  An information raises no inference of guilt. As in all criminal cases, each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

A charge is an accusation of criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. As in all criminal cases, each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Each count is a separate and distinct offense charged in an indictment or information.

A guilty plea is a defendant’s admission to the court that he or she committed the offense charged and an agreement to waive the right to a trial.

A conviction is a judgment based on a jury’s verdict, judge’s finding, or the defendant’s admission that the defendant is guilty of the crime charged.

A sentence is a judicial determination of the punishment to be imposed on an individual who has plead guilty or has been convicted by a jury or judge of a criminal offense.

 

On February 26, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Demetrius Baldwin, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2053 (located in Gulfport, Miss.), was sentenced to five years of probation. Baldwin was also ordered to pay $46,729 in restitution, a $27,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment. On September 3, 2025, Baldwin pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.

On February 25, 2026, in the Criminal Court of Davidson County, Tennessee Criminal Court, Mary F. Poindexter, former Treasurer of Tennessee Staff Union (located in Nashville, Tenn.), pleaded guilty to one count of theft of property over $60,000 but less than $250,000, in violation of Tennessee Code 39-14-103, a Class B felony. Poindexter was then sentenced to eight years in state prison (suspended) and eight years of supervised probation. Poindexter was also ordered to pay $102,316 in restitution and $555 in court costs. The guilty plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.

On February 23, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division, Terry Lendo, former President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1745 (located in Austin, Tex.), pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans Office.

On February 19, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Leighanne Arrington, former office manager for Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation (SMART) Local 48 (located in Birmingham, Ala.), was charged with one count of bank fraud, totaling $30,643, and one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1344 and 18 U.S.C. 1028A, respectively. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.

On February 17, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, James Burke, former Financial Secretary of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 549 (located in Huntington, W.Va.), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $40,011, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office. See Press Release: Southern District of West Virginia | Kentucky Man Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Assets of a Labor Union | United States Department of Justice.

On February 17, 2026, in the United States District Court for South Carolina, Columbia Division, LaTanya Gadson, former President of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 795 (located in Sumter, S.C.), pleaded guilty to one count of willful falsification of union records, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.

On February 9, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, Ricky Mattison, former President of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 970 (located in Prescott, Ark.), was sentenced to five years of probation. He was also ordered to pay $25,341 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. On September 17, 2025, Mattison pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.

On February 2, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Marcus Miller, former Vice President of National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 775 (located in Niles, Mich.), was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day of imprisonment. Upon release, Miller will be placed on probation for two years. He was also ordered to pay $54,120 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. On October 16, 2025, Miller pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office and the United States Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General.

On January 29, 2026, in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska, Michelle Simmons, former President of National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 390 (located in Grand Island, Nebr.), was sentenced to five years of probation. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $19,778 and a special assessment of $25. On September 3, 2025, Simmons pleaded guilty to one count of failing to maintain and retain union records, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 436 and 29 U.S.C. 439(a), respectively. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.

On January 28, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Corpus Christi Division, Robert Cirilo, former President of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 13-1647 (located in Corpus Christi, Tex.), was sentenced to 21 months of imprisonment. Upon release, Cirilo will be placed on probation for three years. He was also ordered to pay $287,368 in restitution. On April 28, 2025, Cirilo pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of embezzlement of union funds, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343 and 29 U.S.C. 501(c), respectively. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. See Press Release: Southern District of Texas | Former labor union president sentenced for embezzling over $280,000 in union funds | United States Department of Justice

On January 21, 2026, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Joe Scott, former Treasurer of International Union of Electrical Workers - Communications Workers of America (IUE-CWA) Local 81154 (located in Gardner, Mass.), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office. See Press Release: District of Massachusetts | Treasurer of Labor Union Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement | United States Department of Justice.

On January 21, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Clarence Penny, former Treasurer of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 9-444 (located in Cantonment, Fla.), was charged with eight counts of bank fraud totaling $94,568, one count of embezzling union funds, and three counts of falsifying a union financial report, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1344(2), 29 U.S.C. 501(c), and 29 U.S.C. 439(b), respectively. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office. See Press Release: Northern District of Florida | Former Labor Union Treasurer Indicted for Bank Fraud, Embezzlement, and Falsification of Union Financial Reports | United States Department of Justice

On January 8, 2026, in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, James Scotti, an employee of Professional Sports Publications, which is a company that conducted business with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 26 (located in Lanham, Md.), was sentenced to three years of probation with six months of home confinement. He was also ordered to pay $162,960 in restitution. On November 4, 2025, Scotti pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343 and 1349. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.

On January 7, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, James Burke, former Financial Secretary of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 549 (located in Huntington, W.Va.), was charged in a one-count information for embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.

On January 6, 2026, in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, Max Jaramillo, former Treasurer of Mail Handlers Local 331 (located in Albuquerque, N. Mex.), was charged with two counts of wire fraud for submitting false Form LM-3 Labor Organization Annual Reports and three counts of embezzlement, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343 and 29 U.S.C. 501(c), respectively. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office. See Press Release: District of New Mexico | Union Treasurer Charged with Wire Fraud and Embezzlement of Labor Organization Funds | United States Department of Justice

 

 

Last Updated: 3-12-26