John Dougherty, Embezzlement and Tax Fraud, Pennsylvania 2023

PHILADELPHIA – In a major blow to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), a federal jury convicted John Dougherty, 63, of Philadelphia, PA, and Brian Burrows, 63, of Mount Laurel, NJ, of numerous charges related to the embezzlement of funds belonging to Local 98.

The indictment, filed in January 2019, charged Dougherty, Burrows, and four other union employees with multiple federal offenses connected to their illegal use of Local 98 funds for personal and other unauthorized expenses. The indictment also charged Dougherty and Burrows with concealing the embezzlement of Local 98’s funds by filing false labor management reports with the U.S. Department of Labor, and with tax fraud by failing to report their personal use of the funds on their tax returns.

Today, the federal jury convicted Dougherty of one count of conspiracy to embezzle the funds of Local 98, 33 counts of embezzlement of funds from Local 98, 24 counts of wire fraud by participating in a scheme to defraud Local 98 of its money, four counts of signing and submitting false labor management forms that concealed the embezzlement of Local 98 funds, and three counts of filing false federal income tax returns. The jury convicted Burrows of 13 counts of embezzlement of funds from Local 98, four counts of signing and submitting false labor management forms that concealed the embezzlement of Local 98 funds, and three counts of filing false federal income tax returns.

In December 2022, four other employees of Local 98 pleaded guilty to charges related to the embezzlement of Local 98’s funds. Michael Neill, former Training Director of Local 98’s Apprentice Training Fund, Niko Rodriguez, an employee of the Apprentice Training Fund, and Brian Fiocca, an office employee with Local 98, pleaded guilty to embezzlement of Local 98’s funds. Marita Crawford, who previously served as Local 98’s Political Director, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, the object of which was to obtain money from Local 98 through false and fraudulent representations.

“The members of Local 98 trusted Dougherty and Burrows to faithfully manage and protect the union’s funds; the defendants did exactly the opposite – they stole from their own members, and violated that trust,” said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. “Today’s verdict demonstrates the consequences of such dishonesty and theft, which involved egregious and repeated violations of trust and misuse of funds for personal benefit.

Defendant: John Dougherty (63)

Criminal Charges: one count of conspiracy to embezzlement, 33 counts of embezzlement of funds from Local 98, 24 counts of wire fraud, four counts of signing and submitting false labor management forms, and three counts of filing false federal income tax returns

City and State: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Exact Date: not specified

Sentence or Outcome: currently pending sentencing

Dollar Amounts: none specified

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