Richfield Springs Man Pleads Guilty to Embezzling from Labor Union

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jay Garnsey, 38, pleaded guilty yesterday to embezzling assets from a labor union, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and District Director Jonathan Russo of the Boston-Buffalo District Office for the United States Department of Labor, Office of Labor Management Standards (DOL-OLMS).

From about late 2015, until December 2019, Garnsey was employed by Remington Arms in Ilion, NY and the financial secretary of the union that represented its employees. As part of his guilty plea, Garnsey admitted that, while he was financial secretary, he embezzled money from the union by, among other things, submitting fraudulent reimbursement vouchers. Garnsey admitted embezzling over $38,000 in union funds.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 25, 2023, before District Judge David N. Hurd in Utica, New York, at which time Garnsey faces a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a post-imprisonment term of supervised release of up to three years.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.  Garnsey also agreed to pay to the union $38,172.76 in restitution. 

This case was investigated by the DOL-OLMS and the Ilion Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Sutcliffe.