Local Union President Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Making False Statements

PORTLAND, Maine: A former president of a local union chapter representing employees of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court in Portland to wire fraud and making false written statements.

According to court records, Kyle Chasse, 38, embezzled over $10,000 in union funds between 2020 and 2022, while serving as the union’s president. As part of the scheme, Chasse withdrew cash and made debit purchases using the union’s bank account, all without authorization by the union. The debit transactions included purchases from bars, restaurants, vending machines, and other businesses. Chasse made false statements to cover up his fraudulent use of the funds. These false statements included a union financial disclosure form filed with the federal government, in which Chasse misrepresented the amount of money he had received from the union.

Chasse faces up to 20 years of imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000, and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Office of Labor-Management Standards of the U.S. Department of Labor investigated the case.

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