Harold Giberson, Union Embezzlement, WY 2017

Harold Giberson, 63, of Rock Springs, Wyoming, was sentenced on February 7, 2017, for stealing over $150,000 from the Utility Workers Union of America Local 127. As the long-time union president, Giberson betrayed the trust of his members by treating union funds like a personal piggy bank.

From 2011 through January 2015, Giberson used the union’s credit card for personal expenses and submitted unauthorized travel reimbursements. The theft came to light when local union trustees audited the books and uncovered the fraud. Giberson resigned in February 2015, but the damage had already been done.

Sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal, Giberson received five years of probation with the first six months in home confinement. Appearing in court on oxygen, the ailing defendant avoided prison but faces serious consequences.

He was ordered to pay $158,953.28 in restitution and a $100.00 special assessment. Federal law now bars Giberson from serving in any union official capacity for 13 years — a lifetime ban for a man in failing health.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards, led the investigation. Their probe revealed a pattern of greed masked as leadership, with Giberson exploiting his position for years without detection.

Union members who relied on those funds for benefits and operations now face lingering distrust. Giberson’s fall from power marks a grim chapter in Wyoming labor history — one fueled by betrayal and unchecked authority.