Jake West

U.S. Dist. Ct. Judge Thomas F. Hogan (U.S.D.Ct. D.C., Reagan) "postponed indefinitely" the trial of Jake West, frmr. president of the Intl. Assn. of Iron Workers, acc. to West's attny. West was indicted in Aug. 2001 on charges that embezzled more than $50,000 from the union for personal expenses. That trial was scheduled to begin Oct. 2. But Hogan, while refusing to dismiss the case, ruled that West is "medically incompetent" to stand trial.

West is still scheduled to be tried on Oct. 15 on charges that he diverted $37,000 in pension and other union funds to a frmr. union rival who wasn't entitled to them. That trial is also expected to be postponed. [Engineering News-Record, 10/7/02]

A fed. grand jury in Wash. D.C. issued yet another indictment against ex-Iron Worker officials Jake West and LeRoy Worley on August 7. The indictment adds more than $200,000 to the amount allegedly embezzled from the IAIW, and provides new details on the deal between West and Worley.

West and Worley had both held offices in the Intl. Assn. of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers since 1989 -- West as General Pres., Worley as General Secy. By 1998, acc. to the indictment, West saw Worley as a challenge to his position in the union and wanted him out of the way. In Nov. of that year, they allegedly made a deal. On the 18th, Worley resigned his position in the IAIW. At the same time, West allegedly arranged for Worley to receive more than $37,000 from the union's pension fund that Worley had not worked for the union long enough to be entitled to. Those facts were previously laid out in a May 17 indictment.

As previously reported, Raymond J. Robertson, ex-general vice president of the Int'l Ass'n of Iron Workers and ex-trustee/director of a benefit fund linked to the union, pled guilty Apr. 11 to eight felony counts linked to a series of thefts from the Nat'l Ironworkers & Employers Apprenticeship Training & Journeyman Upgrading Fund. Specifically, he confessed to one count of conspiracy to defraud a benefit plan, one count of aiding and abetting embezzlement from an entity receiving federal funds, and six counts of embezzlement. He agreed to pay a $30,000 fine and $103,170 in restitution. Through several different types of schemes, Robertson stole or helped cover up thefts of more than $100,000 from the Fund from Apr. 1998 to Apr. 2001.

After confessing that casino gambling on the Ohio River and in Las Vegas as well as sport wagering led him to embezzle $130,507 from the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers & Allied Workers Local 86 in Columbus, Ohio, Robert D. King, Jr.,  was sentenced Apr. 17 to 21 months imprisonment and three years probation. He stole $88,757 from the local plus $41,750 from local's benefit funds. He was ordered to make full restitution. He pled guilty to two embezzlement counts Dec. 11 before U.S. Dist. Judge George C. Smith (S.D. Ohio, Reagan). King stole the money from Aug. 1999 to Jan. 2001 by writing himself checks from Local 86's general and apprentice-training accounts.

King served as the local's business manager and financial secretary for six years until the union ousted him in Jan. 2001. Local officials became suspicious because King's sloppy record-keeping. The int'l union audited the books and confronted King with numerous discrepancies. The case was then turned over to the Dep't of Labor. [DOL 4/17/02; Columbus Dispatch 12/12/01]