FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
July 7, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FORMER UNION OFFICIAL PLEADS GUILTY TO EMBEZZLING UNION FUNDS
Baltimore, Maryland - Brian Armentrout, age 32, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty today to embezzlement from a labor union, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
According to the plea agreement, from January 2002 to September 2005, Armentrout was the Recording Secretary for the Waterfront Guard Association Local 1852, I.W.A. (WGA), an independent union that had members who worked as security guards and watchmen at the Port of Baltimore. As Recording Secretary, Armentrout had fiduciary duties to the WGA and from January 2003 to June 2004, Armentrout personally deposited, cashed and transferred to his own use approximately $34,000 from WGA accounts.
Armentrout faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for embezzlement from a labor union. Chief U.S. District Judge Benson E. Legg has scheduled sentencing for October 1, 2009 at 10:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General and Employee Benefits Security Administration for their investigative work and commended Assistant United States Attorney Harry M. Gruber, who is prosecuting the case.