The Suffolk County District Attorney’s office says 11 union officials have been charged with racketeering, fraud and bribery offenses. D.A. Tim Sini says the defendants allegedly agreed to accept dozes of bribes to corruptly influence the construction industry at the expense of labor unions and their members. The defendants are current and former union officials with Local 638 of the Enterprise Association of Steamfitters (“Local 638”) and Local Union 200 of the United Association of Journeyman and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada (“Local 200”). Officials say since in or around October 2018, the defendants allegedly agreed to accept dozens of bribes, totaling over $100,000, in exchange for which they used their authority to corruptly influence the construction industry at the expense of labor unions and their members
- JAMES CAHILL, CHRISTOPHER KRAFT, PATRICK HILL, MATTHEW NORTON, WILLIAM BRIAN WANGERMAN, KEVIN MCCARRON, JEREMY SHEERAN, a/k/a “Max,” ANDREW MCKEON, and ROBERT EGAN charged with racketeering, fraud, and bribery offenses, in connection with their alleged acceptance of payments in their roles as current and former union officials to corruptly influence labor-management relations in the construction industry.
- SCOTT ROCHE and ARTHUR GIPSON are charged with fraud and bribery offenses.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Swergold, Danielle Sassoon, and Jun Xiang, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura de Oliveira, are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Photo credit: (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford, File)
