Ava L. Ramey, Theft of Union Funds, Maryland 2023

Ava L. Ramey, a 61-year-old former trustee for the United Government Security Officers of America Local 21, has been sentenced to two years in prison for embezzling at least $379,000 from a labor union.

A U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus handed down the sentence in Greenbelt, Maryland, on February 2, 2023. Ramey, of Bowie, Maryland, was also ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture of $379,000.

The embezzlement occurred between December 2005 and October 2009, during which time Ramey served as an assistant trustee and then a trustee for the union. According to her guilty plea, she wrote checks to herself or 'cash' totaling over $80,000, used the union debit card to purchase over $70,000 worth of merchandise, withdrew over $60,000 from the union account at ATMs, and transferred or withdrew over $100,000 to her personal account.

Ramey also wrote checks from the union account to her family members totaling over $60,000. In total, she embezzled at least $379,000 from the union.

The law enforcement action is part of President Barack Obama's Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, which aims to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised Assistant U.S. Attorney Sujit Raman for his work on the case.

Ava L. Ramey, Theft of Union Funds, Maryland 2023

Defendant: Ava L. Ramey, 61, of Bowie, Maryland

Criminal Charges: Theft of union funds

City and State: Greenbelt, Maryland

Date: February 2, 2023

Sentence: Two years in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution, and forfeiture of $379,000

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr-12