National Legal and Policy Center -- Organized Labor Accountability Project
 
UNION CORRUPTION UPDATE
 
December 9, 2002 -- Vol. 5, Issue 25

For Influential Leaders & Important Decision Makers:
Information on America's most corrupt & aggressive unions

 
LABORERS (LIUNA)
Des Moines Contractor & Ofc. Secy. Indicted as Accomplices in Embezzlement
A construction company owner and union secy. were indicted Nov. 19 on charges that they conspired with a union president to embezzle funds from a Des Moines Laborers union.

On July 25, Fred T. Risius, president of Local 177 of the Laborers Intl. Union of N. Amer., pled guilty to stealing over $100,000 from the union. Contractor Clyde Starkey and Local 177 ofc. secy. Joleen Coughlon were indicted for aiding Risius in part of his thefts. From Dec. 7, 1999, until July 5, 2001, Risius wrote $29,280 in checks from the union's Bldg. Maintenance Fund to Starkey's company, which Starkey allegedly cashed, then kept 40% while kicking back the rest to Risius. From Feb. 17 until July 13, 2000, Coughlon allegedly used her position to embezzle $6,445. She also allegedly received a laptop computer and digital camera worth $2,605 from Risius courtesy of the Bldg. Maintenance Fund.

Starkey and Coughlon were both indicted for conspiracy to embezzle union funds in violation of 29 U.S.C. Sec. 501(c). Coughlon was indicted on five separate counts of embezzlement, and one count of falsifying union records to conceal her embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C., Sec. 439(c). They were indicted in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for Southern Iowa. [U.S.A.O. S.D. IA 11/19/02]

Union Corruption Update is made possible by the generous contributions from readers like you. NLPC, PO Box 6821, Falls Church, VA 22040. Thank you. Union Corruption Update is part of NLPC's Organized Labor Accountability Project which is investigating and exposing corruption in the Teamsters, LIUNA, AFL-CIO and many other union organizations. NLPC is a nonpartisan, nonprofit foundation promoting ethics and accountability in government through research, education and legal action.

In addition to the unions and organizations covered in this Union Corruption Update, readers can look forward to news and information on other corrupt and abusive unions in future editions.  All back issues of the Union Corruption Update can be viewed at NLPC's website (http://www.nlpc.org).  Also available is a union-by-union and state-by-state index of all Union Corruption Update articles. If you have story ideas or suggestions for future editions of Union Corruption Update, please email NLPC at nlpc@nlpc.org.  Thank you.
 
Looking for a LM-2, LM-3, or LM-4 Annual Financial Report from the Department of Labor? Visit http://www.dol-union-reports.gov.

Email NLPC

Union Corruption Update Article Index (by Union)

Union Corruption Update Article Index (by State)

Organized Labor Accountability Project

NLPC Home Page