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Press Release

Union Financial Secretary Pleads Guilty to Stealing Union Funds

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANABRIAN GERALD, age 51, a resident of Franklinton, Louisiana, pled guilty on April 24, 2023 to a one count indictment for embezzling assets of a local labor union in violation of 29 U.S.C. § 501(c) before United States District Judge Lance M. Africk, announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans.

According to court records, GERALD was the Financial Secretary of United Steelworkers Local 13-189.  GERALD was responsible for organizing Local 13-189’s financial records, keeping an accounting of its income, and filing IRS forms and reports.  GERALD was also responsible for maintaining Local 13-189’s debit card in a safe location.  From January 2015 through September 2020,  GERALD misused the union’s debit card to make 493 ATM cash withdrawals totaling $107,387.90 in cash and fees.  GERALD also misused the union’s debit card to make payments for his personal accounts for a total of $36,589.41.  GERALD misappropriated a total of $143,977.31 of union funds.

GERALD faces a up to five years imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Labor in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit and Troy Bell, of the General Crimes Unit are in charge of the prosecution.

Contact

Shane M. Jones

Public Information Officer

United States Attoeny's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana

United States Department of Justice

Updated April 28, 2023

Topic
Financial Fraud