A former union officer in Rhode Island has been charged with embezzlement and identity theft. Richard D’Antuono, 42, of Cranston, a former business manager and financial secretary for the Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons International Association Local 40, will plead guilty to charges that he embezzled between $250,000 and $550,000 in union funds.
According to court documents, D’Antuono allegedly embezzled funds from a union operational account and from an apprentice fund, a type of employee benefit plan, used to finance training programs for apprentice plasterers and masons and for the retraining or refresher training of journeymen union members.
The scheme, which allegedly began in 2015 and continued for two years, involved D’Antuono making checks out to himself substantially in excess of his salary and a stipend to which he was entitled. In some instances, D’Antuono had the authorized signatories sign blank checks, which he later used to embezzle funds from the operational account. In other instances, D’Antuono forged the signature of the authorized signatories on checks.
The charges against D’Antuono include embezzlement from a labor organization, embezzlement from an employee benefit plan, and aggravated identity theft. Embezzlement from a labor organization is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 5 years imprisonment, a fine of $10,000, and a term of supervised release of 3 years. Embezzlement from an employee benefit plan is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 5 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of 3 years. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by statutory penalties of a mandatory term of 2 years imprisonment in addition to the sentence imposed on the embezzlement charges.
The case is being prosecuted by John P. McAdams. The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards with the assistance of the Office of Inspector General Office of Investigations – Labor Racketeering & Fraud, and the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
Defendant: Richard D’Antuono, 42, of Cranston, Rhode Island
Criminal Charges: Embezzlement from a labor organization, embezzlement from an employee benefit plan, and aggravated identity theft
City and State: Providence, Rhode Island
Exact Date: 2015 (scheme began)
Sentence or Outcome: To plead guilty and face up to 5 years imprisonment, a fine of $10,000, and a term of supervised release of 3 years for embezzlement from a labor organization, up to 5 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of 3 years for embezzlement from an employee benefit plan, and a mandatory term of 2 years imprisonment for aggravated identity theft
Dollar Amounts: Between $250,000 and $550,000 in union funds
Key Facts
- State: Rhode Island
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
White Collar CrimeWhite Collar CrimeWhite Collar CrimeWhite Collar Crime