Ex-UAW official gets nearly 5 years in prison for cash theft

DETROIT (AP) — A former official at the United Auto Workers was sentenced Tuesday to nearly five years in prison for embezzling $2.1 million.

Timothy Edmunds was secretary-treasurer of UAW Local 412, which represents about 2,600 people who work for Stellantis, formerly known as Fiat Chrysler, at factories in the Detroit area.

Edmunds used the union’s credit cards for personal purchases. He also cashed checks and transferred money into his accounts, investigators said.

“Mr. Edmunds betrayed his union brothers and sisters by stealing their dues money to satisfy his own greed,” U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said.

Edmunds gambled and spent money on guns, cars and child-support payments. He pleaded guilty in March to embezzlement and money laundering.

“These offenses stemmed from his drug and gambling addiction,” defense attorney Joseph Arnone said in a court filing.

The UAW says its auditors discovered the theft, and the findings were shared with federal authorities.