GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES (AFSCME)
Diop Gets up to 11 Years, $1.4 Million Allegedly Taken
Albert A. Diop, ex-int'l vice-president
of the Am. Fed'n of State, County & Mun. Employees and ex-president
of Local 1549 in N.Y.C., was sentenced to up
to 11 years in prison Nov. 20 after he admitted stealing over $50,000 from
the local. Asst. Dist. Atty Thomas Mooney said before sentencing that had
Diop gone to trial, he was prepared to prove that Diop was responsible
for the theft of some $1.4 million from the union. "Diop spent an inordinate
amount of time in Atlantic City," Mooney added. "Some of the missing funds
may have been spent gambling."
Diop pled guilty Oct. 12 to second-degree grand larceny and admitted using a union credit card to finance a lavish personal life including chess sets, cameras, clothing, jewelry, and other personal items, and to pay for hotels for himself. An AFSCME audit accused Diop of having his local pay more than $600,000 to Local 1549's parent, AFSCME Dist. Council 37, for more than 2 years as rent for a personal penthouse atop DC37 headquarters.
Diop, who had no comment when given an opportunity to speak in court, must serve 3 years and 8 months in prison before he is eligible for parole. He is not required to make restitution. Diop is already serving 1.5 to 4 years for rigging a union contract vote. He was convicted in July 2000 of a scheme to defraud for stuffing ballot boxes in 1996. Diop is one of the more that 30 individuals charged since 1998 in the ongoing and massive union corruption probe of DC37. [Newsday 11/21/01]
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