On June 17, 2011, in United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, Kimberly Hirschkorn, former Financial Secretary of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 709 (located in Bellingham, Wash.), pled guilty to willful embezzlement of union funds, in violation of one count of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). Hirschkorn was then sentenced to two years probation, 90 days of electronic monitoring, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment penalty. Restitution was made prior to the sentencing. The plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office.
On June 14, 2011, in the United States District Court of New Jersey, Gary Weightman, former President of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 190 (located in Clifton, N.J.), was sentenced to one year of home confinement followed by 48 months of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine for a violation of 26 U.S.C. 7201 (Tax Evasion). Weightman received a downward departure from the sentencing guidelines as a result of his cooperation with the government which assisted in the conviction of John McGovern, former Local 190 Secretary-Treasurer. McGovern previously pled guilty to and was sentenced for one count of violating 18 U.S.C. 371 by conspiring with Weightman to embezzle $200,000 of Local 190 funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
On May 25, 2011, in the United States District Court of New Jersey, John McGovern, the former Secretary-Treasurer of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 190 (located in Clifton, N.J.), was sentenced to 20 months of imprisonment followed by 36 months of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution of $783,931. McGovern previously pled guilty to a one count of conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371, by conspiring with former Local 190 President Gary Weightman to embezzle, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c), $200,000 of Local 190 funds. Weightman is scheduled to be sentenced in June 2011. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office in conjunction with the Office of the U.S. Attorney, DNJ, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
An indictment is a formal accusation or charge based on a finding by a Grand Jury that it is likely that the person charged committed the criminal offense described in the indictment and is the means by which an accused person (defendant) is brought to trial. An indictment raises no inference of guilt. As in all criminal cases, each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.