Former IBEW Local 98 Leaders Convicted in Embezzlement Case

Court News

PHILADELPHIA, PA — John Dougherty, 63, of Philadelphia, and Brian Burrows, 63, of Mount Laurel, New Jersey, previously high-ranking officials in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 98, were convicted on December 7, 2023, on multiple charges related to embezzlement. The convictions followed a federal jury trial that revealed the defendants’ misuse of union funds for personal and unauthorized expenses.

Dougherty, who once served as the Business Manager of Local 98, and Burrows, the former president of the union, were indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2019. The indictment included charges of concealing their embezzlement activities by filing false labor management reports with the U.S. Department of Labor, and tax fraud for failing to report personal use of the funds on their tax returns.

The jury found Dougherty guilty of one count of conspiracy to embezzle Local 98 funds, 33 counts of embezzlement, 24 counts of wire fraud, four counts of submitting false labor management forms, and three counts of filing false federal income tax returns. Burrows was convicted on 13 counts of embezzlement, four counts of signing and submitting false labor management forms, and three counts of filing false federal income tax returns.

In December 2022, four other Local 98 employees pleaded guilty to charges related to the embezzlement scheme. 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, all admitted to embezzling union funds. Marita Crawford, former Political Director for Local 98, pleaded guilty to wire fraud.

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Dougherty also faces charges from a separate indictment for crimes involving honest services fraud bribery, which were ordered to be tried first. In November 2021, Dougherty was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and seven counts of honest services wire fraud.

Burrows could face up to 83 years in prison, while Dougherty, considering his 2021 conviction, could face up to 901 years. Their sentencing has been set for March 20 and 21, 2024, respectively.

The case underwent an extensive investigation conducted by multiple agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Labor Management Standards, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and the Pennsylvania State Police. The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office also provided valuable assistance. Handling the prosecution are Assistant United States Attorneys Frank Costello, who serves as the Chief of the Corruption & Civil Rights Unit, Bea Witzleben, the Co-Chief of Trials, as well as Jason Grenell and Anthony Carissimi.

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