Ex-union big Michael Forde pleads guilty to racketeering charges

By BRUCE GOLDING 

Ex-carpenters union bigshot Michael Forde measured twice and cut himself a plea deal today.

The crooked labor leader -- who got a hug from Mayor Bloomberg after endorsing his re-election last year -- agreed to serve at least nine years behind bars for a racketeering scheme that stretches back to 1994.

The former head of the powerful carpenters District Council admitted selling out his membership by pocketing bribes to let contractors hire illegal aliens off the books.

Reading from a written statement in Manhattan federal court, Forde further admitted lying under oath during a 2009 deposition at which he denied knowledge of the shady scheme.

He also told the judge he was "currently in the process of recovery from drug and alcohol abuse" after testing positive for cocaine and marijuana when he was busted last August.

Forde's guilty pleas to racketeering and conspiracy came little more than a week after John Greaney, who succeeded Forde as president of Local 608, agreed to cooperate with prosecutors against his former mentor.

Forde -- who earlier beat bribery charges in state court -- declined to comment as he left the courthouse.

He's the eighth of 10 defendants in the case to cop a plea, leaving just former union official Brian Hayes and contractors' rep Joseph Olivieri -- who allegedly has longstanding ties to the Genovese crime family -- set for trial in September.

Under terms of his non-binding deal with prosecutors, Forde faces a maximum 11-plus years in the slammer. He also agreed to forfeit $100,000 in ill-gotten gains from his crimes.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara called Forde's conviction a "milestone" in rooting out corruption at the carpenters union, which he said was now pointed "toward a new era in its history."