Federal officials formally charged former United Auto Workers (UAW) president Gary Jones with embezzlement and defrauding the US government. The charge is a culmination of a multi-year probe into one of the most outspoken unions in the United States.
According to court documents that were made public on Thursday, other former and current officials of the union will also likely be facing charges. Federal prosecutors have so far identified four other co-conspirators who allegedly were directly involved in the scheme to embezzle more than $1 million from the union's funds.
The identities of the four people involved in the scheme have not yet been named. They, along with Jones, allegedly used the money they had embezzled to buy luxury items such as liquor and cigars. They allegedly also spent union money for gold trips and other luxury tours.
Federal officials claim that Jones was one of a handful of union leaders who stole cash and assets from the organization to fund their lavish lifestyles. Jones and other senior officials used money from the union funds to buy lavish dinners and resort accommodations while spending hundreds of thousands of dollars buying other luxury items.
The UAW issued a statement immediately after the charges were made, stating that all members of the union should be angry over the allegations as it is a violation of trust and goes against everything the organization believes in. Jones had resigned from the union in November last year, around the same time that the UAW International Executive Board announced plans of forcefully removing him from his position.
The charges brought against Jones come just days after federal prosecutors were able to successfully convict 13 other people outside of the union implicated in the scam. The convicted persons included three Fiat Chrysler executives and 10 others that were affiliated with the Union in one form or another.
The investigation into the leadership has been ongoing for quite some time. The homes of Jones and his predecessor, former UAW President Dennis Williams, were raided back in August. Williams, however, has yet to be formally charged.
Federal officials revealed that investigation into the UAW corruption found that the illegal activities within the union likely began sometime around 2010. The federal investigation was officially made public in 2017, focusing mainly on the UAW leadership and Fiat Chrysler. The probe then expanded into the activities of other automakers, including Ford and General Motors. Both companies had previously stated that they are fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation. No one from both companies' unions has yet been charged.
