IRON WORKERS (BSORIW)
International Boss Admits $103,100 Embezzlement
Raymond Robertson, ex-general vice president of the Int'l Ass'n of
Bridge, Structural, Ornamental & Reinforcing Iron Workers and ex-director
of its Nat'l Training Fund, pled guilty Apr. 11 in U.S. Dist. Court in
Washington, D.C., to one count of conspiracy to defraud an employee benefit
plan, one count of aiding and abetting embezzlement from an organization
receiving federal funds, and six counts of embezzlement from an employee
benefit plan. He agreed to pay a $30,000 fine and $103,170 in restitution
and to assist the government in other probes.
Robertson is the seventh to be charged in the federal probe of BSORIW. Four other bosses have pled guilty to embezzlement or related charges. A fifth, ex-BSORIW president Jacob "Jake" West, is awaiting trial on charges related to a $50,000 union embezzlement and he also been linked to the ULLICO insider trading scandal. Others charged in the scandal are: Darrel E. Shelton, ex-general organizer, who pled guilty to embezzling as much as $120,000; Fred G. Summers, ex-executive director of organizing, who admitted embezzling more than $50,000; James E. Cole, ex-general secretary , who pled guilty to embezzling more than $10,000; and Michael J. Brennan, the ex-head of the Iron Workers Political Action League, who pled guilty to charges involving the theft of $7,000. Finally Kerry J. Tresselt, ex-bookkeeper, pled guilty to embezzling more than $350,000 from BSORIW’s training fund. [DOL 4/11/02]
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