BOSTON - A Brockton man was sentenced today in federal court for embezzling union funds and conspiring with others to do so.
Stennett “Glen” Bernard, 58, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Joseph L. Tauro to five years of probation, including the first six months in home confinement with electronic monitoring and ordered to pay $173,312 in restitution. Bernard pleaded guilty on May 31, 2012.
Bernard was employed in a union job at Serta Mattress Company in Middleboro, and was elected president of the now-defunct United Steelworkers Local 421 in June 2004. As Bernard knew, he was entitled to receive payment of union funds for performing union duties only when he missed regularly-scheduled work at his union job. Bernard last worked at Serta in February, 2005, but from that time, until about October 2006, he caused himself to be paid funds from the union checking account, approximately on a weekly basis. He knew these payments were unauthorized, either by the union’s rules and by-laws, or by the union’s membership. Bernard conspired with other Local 421 officers to embezzle union funds which they paid to themselves.
Bernard’s three co-defendants have all previously pleaded guilty to related charges. Manuel Nogueira, formerly Local 421's Recording Secretary, pleaded guilty to embezzlement of union funds and conspiracy. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 5, 2012; Roody Lespinasse, formerly Local 421's Treasurer, pleaded guilty to failure to maintain labor union records and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 6, 2012; Andy Alerte, formerly Local 421's Financial Secretary, pleaded guilty to falsification of labor union financial records and failure to maintain labor union records and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 6, 2012.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Mark Neylon, District Director of the Boston District Office of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Labor-Management Standards, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Balthazard of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit.
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