GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES (CSEA/AFSCME)
Second Albany Boss Admits Theft
Daniel Vallee, ex-boss of Civil Service Employees
Ass'n Local 316 in Albany, pled guilty Nov. 9 before U.S. Dist. Judge
Thomas J. McAvoy (N.D.N.Y., Reagan) to embezzling $19,300.09 in union funds.
Local 316 is a subunit of Am. Fed'n of State, County & Mun. Employees
Local 1000. Vallee admitted that from May 1988 until Jan. 2000 he wrote
checks to himself drawn on the local's account. As president, Vallee was
one of two people authorized to sign the checks. The other person, Nancy
Groome, ex-secretary-treasurer of the local, cosigned some of the checks
but Vallee admitted he forged her name on a majority of them. In some instances,
Vallee also received excess reimbursements and kept the funds. He spent
the embezzled funds on personal expenses such as his mortgage, car repairs,
credit card bills, and gifts for others.
In July, Groome pled guilty to embezzling nearly $111,476.48 in union funds herself. She wrote 310 unauthorized checks to herself and to vendors from union-related training trips she never took. McAvoy set sentencing for Mar. 11 for both embezzlers. In the plea, Vallee agreed to make restitution to the bonding firm that repaid the local and never to seek or hold a union office again. [USAO N.D.N.Y. 11/9/01; Times Union (Albany) 11/10/01]
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