Fostoria man charged with embezzling $42,000 from labor union

A criminal information was filed charging Aaron M. Contreras, 34, of Fostoria, with embezzlement of union funds.                

Contreras, while working as financial secretary of a labor union, illegally embezzled approximately $42,700 from the union during 2015. He prepared a false financial report to conceal the embezzlement. Including ATM fees, the loss to the union was $43,293, according to the information.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.  

The investigating agency in this case is the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards, in Cleveland.  The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Tracey B. Tangeman.              

An information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.