Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Michael Brennan, steward for mobbed-up carpenters union, pleads guilty

BY Robert Gearty
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

A shop steward for the mobbed-up carpenters union pleaded guilty Tuesday to letting a contractor-turned-informant defraud the union in exchange for $100,000 in bribes.

Michael Brennan was indicted last August on federal racketeering charges, as were District Council of Carpenters head Michael Forde and eight others.

Brennan is the fourth shop steward to plead guilty in the case. Drywall contractor Finbar O'Neill, a reputed Luchese crime family associate, has also pleaded guilty.

Forde goes to trial Sept. 7, along with two top union leaders, a shop steward and a benefits trustee. Brennan, 54, who entered the plea in Manhattan Federal Court, faces a prison sentence of 70 to 87 months. The sentencing date is Oct. 27.

As part of the plea, Brennan also agreed to forfeit the $100,000 he got in bribes.

Prosecutors said the bribes to Brennan benefitted drywall contractor On Par Contracting. Last August, the Daily News reported that On Par owner James Murray had emerged from hiding after three years on the lam and was helping the feds.

Yesterday, prosecutor Mark Lanpher confirmed that Murray was a key government witness.

1 comment:

  1. LOL Scumbags deserve every day in jail.I hope Forde gets 20 scumbag.
    Didn't Paschal McGuiness get indicted for racketeering RICO -was guilty & somehow ended up in DC Carpenters Main Office working & making more money? Who knows that story?
    Then Devine, Teddy Moritas, Forde .Why not write a history of every single corrupt-bribe taking EST & head of the union? Interesting reading.

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