Monday, July 25, 2011

Where Are They Now; Carpenters’ Union Chief and 9 Others Indicted

Originally posted 06.07.11: (updated with Greaney sentenced to a year and a day imprisonment, a $10,000 fine, and 3 years supervised release).

Wednesday August 5, 2009, federal authorities charged New York City District Council of Carpenters union leader Michael J. Forde, seven other union officials, a contractor, and contractor’s representative with 29 counts of corruption, including racketeering, fraud, bribery, and perjury. According to the charges, bribes were paid out to union leaders to allow contractors around the city to pay cash to workers at below union-rate wages and therefore avoid paying benefits.

All ten defendants have been convicted in this case and only one went to trial. Nine defendants have been sentenced and one defendant remain to be sentenced.

Below is a list of all ten defendants charged in the 2008 indictment and where they are now.

Joseph Olivieri, 56, the former executive director of the Association of Wall, Ceiling, and Carpentry Industries of New York and a former trustee of the benefit funds managed for the District Council, was convicted of perjury by a jury on Oct. 27, 2010. He was sentenced on June 3, 2011 to 18 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.

Michael Forde, 56, the former executive secretary treasurer of the District Council, pleaded guilty on July 28, 2010, to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of racketeering. He was sentenced on Nov. 19, 2010, to 11 years in prison.

Brian Hayes, 40, a former business agent of Local 608, pleaded guilty on Aug. 20, 2010, to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of racketeering. He was sentenced on Jan. 14 to 30 months in prison.

Michael Brennan, 55, of Bushkill, Pa., who was a union shop steward, pleaded guilty on July 6, 2010, to one count of racketeering. He was sentenced on Dec. 17, 2010, to five years in prison.

Brian Carson, 50, of the Bronx who was a union shop steward, pleaded guilty on April 5, 2010, to one count of aiding and abetting the embezzlement of monies from union benefit funds. He was sentenced on Aug. 13, 2010, to 19 months in prison.

Michael Vivenzio, 63, of Mahwah, NJ, who was a union shop steward, pled guilty on June 23, 2010, to one count of aiding and abetting the embezzlement of monies from union benefit funds. He was sentenced on Dec. 17, 2010, to 19 months in prison.

Joseph Ruocco, 51, of East Stroudsburg, Pa., who was a union shop steward, pleaded guilty on July 8, 2010, to one count of aiding and abetting the embezzlement of monies from union benefit funds. He was sentenced on Jan. 14 to one year and one day in prison.

John Stamberger, 54, of Brick, NJ, who was a union shop steward, pleaded guilty on March 12, 2010, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and unlawful acceptance of payments by a labor representative. He was sentenced on Jan. 21 to five years’ probation.

John Greaney, 51, of Yonkers, who was the former president and business manager of Local 608. Greaney pleaded guilty on July 16, 2010, to one count of racketeering conspiracy, one count of racketeering, four counts of wire-fraud conspiracy, four counts of deprivation of honest services, two counts of unlawful acceptance of payments by a labor representative, and one count of perjury. He was sentenced on June 17, 2011 to a year and a day imprisonment, a $10,000 fine, and 3 years supervised release.

One defendant remains to be sentenced:

Finbar O’Neill, 45, of Paramus, NJ, who is a contractor, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29. O’Neill pleaded guilty on May 20, 2010, to one count of making unlawful payments to labor representatives, and one count of conspiracy to make such unlawful payments.

9 comments:

  1. BLOGSPOT, HOW BOUT MORE STORIES ON THE 45 THAT GOT AWAY THAN THE 9 ALREADY INDICTED. A MUCH BETTER SERVICE TO THE MEMBERS, HEY !

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  2. Greaney Sung like a Canary right?

    So who did he give up for that easy time? He had at least as many years coming to him as Forde.

    High time the FBI took down McCarron & the International!

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  3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_aVuS7cOIQ&feature=related

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  4. How about locking up john daly he's the real one that got away.

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  5. Michael Forde, 56, the former executive secretary treasurer of the District Council, pleaded guilty on July 28, 2010, to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of racketeering. He was sentenced on Nov. 19, 2010, to 11 years in prison.
    IS THAT ALL THEY GOT THAT FAT COKEHEAD PRICK FOR? 1 COUNT + 1 COUNT OF BASICALLY THE SAME THING? THEY COULD HAVE HUNG THAT BITCH FOR 30 YEARS.
    And what about his 2 crime partners?Thommasson&the other douchebag? NOTHING? They should be teabagging each other forever in jail.

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  6. Greaney was facing 140 years. They had much more evidence on him then Forde. He sang to save his ass. The FBI doesn't care who is the dirtest. They just want the top guy. They will let everyone else go. Welcome to the US Justice System!!

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  7. these guys acted like they were the tightest group of irishmen,,they all turned on each other.they would have great company men.

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  8. and with Greaney facing 14 dimes - who did he give up? Had to be a much larger fish, a really, really big Fish to knock 139 years of time off the sentence.

    who could it be now?

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  9. I'm glad for you guys that you voted down that 100% mobility bullshit. Up here in Westchester[local 279 formerly local 11] McCarron pushed this on us without any vote at all, and we've been stuck with this crap for ten years. The basic result now is that the local companies have evolved into a series of closed shops. They NEVER call the hall for personnel. If you don't know or blow someone, or if you're not some kind of specialist, then all you can expect now are the scrap jobs, if you can even find them. Call the Dispatch office and sign up on the "computerized" list, and you can wait until your hair turns gray. There isn't anyone who can even tell you where you are on that list, or even how many members are on it!!! I asked, and was told that "We're really not keeping track of any of that anymore". I asked a foreman friend of 20 years if he could get me on in his company, and he said he was powerless to help. He said that the boss has HIS list of guys and when he gets a job, he starts from the top of that list and works his way down, and does NOT want any new faces or anyone out of the hall. I thought that the union was supposed to stand for the better welfare of the constituency. Up here in Westchester, UBC seems to stand for the United Builders and Contractors. So I applaud your vote against what would have been a disaster for your constituency, as it is has been for mine. I only wish that we were afforded the chance to vote on this all those years ago. I remember. Everyone was against it!!!

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