Scott E. Rodgers, Embezzlement, Missouri 2023

Former St. Louis Postal Union President Sentenced for Embezzlement

ST. LOUIS — Scott E. Rodgers, the former president of Postal Mail Handlers Local 314, was sentenced to five years of probation and six months of house arrest for embezzling $80,000 from the union.

Rodgers, 51, made four unauthorized ATM withdrawals from the union account and used the union debit card for personal purchases, including meals, fuel, transportation, shopping, and travel, between 2016 and April 2020. He also falsely claimed and received "lost time" payments, or compensation for wages lost when performing work for the union.

"This defendant’s spending happened on the backs of hard-working postal workers," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Becker, who prosecuted the case, in court. Becker also pointed out that Rodgers’ travel and casino trips occurred while he was receiving both his salary from the union and disability payments.

Rodgers also made his ATM withdrawals despite confronting a former union treasurer about her unauthorized ATM withdrawals, his plea says.

Rodgers pleaded guilty on January 26 to one count of embezzlement from a labor union. The case was investigated by the Labor Department’s Office of Labor Management Standards.

The union’s former treasurer, Yvette Luster, was sentenced last year to 18 months in prison for embezzling over $184,000. Rodgers was ordered to repay the $80,756 he embezzled.

Rodgers’ crimes are a reminder of the importance of transparency and accountability in labor unions. The public has a right to know how their money is being spent, and union leaders must be held to a high standard of ethics and integrity.

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