Assane Faye, Embezzlement and Mail Fraud, NJ 2024

ASSANE FAYE, the founder of the United Security and Police Officers of America (USPOA), has been sentenced to 37 months in prison for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from union funds. Faye, 61, of Toms River, New Jersey, was found guilty of embezzlement and mail fraud following a three-week trial.

The court documents and evidence revealed that as the director and signatory of the USPOA’s checking account, Faye misused over $244,000 meant for the union to pay an individual he had a romantic relationship with. This person, known as ‘Individual 1,’ was paid despite performing no services for the union.

Faye not only siphoned money from the USPOA but also defrauded New Jersey’s Unemployment Insurance Division by collecting over $7,000 under false pretenses. He submitted fraudulent reimbursement vouchers and even traveled internationally while submitting false travel expenses.

Judge Peter G. Sheridan imposed the sentence in Trenton federal court, ordering Faye to pay restitution of $350,000 and three years of supervised release after his prison term.

U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman credited the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General and the Office of Labor Management Standards for their role in the investigation and trial support.

Faye is represented by Federal Public Defenders Andrea Bergman and Lisa Van Hoeck.