Ex-IBEW union official charged with felony theft
(SA) — A 44-year-old former office associate with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 1186 has been charged with felony theft for allegedly embezzling $44,367 in union dues.
Lilinoe Chris Yen Smith, who worked for the union for 14 years, allegedly executed an undisclosed scheme from about Oct. 10, 2018, until July 12, 2021, to steal union dues, and falsified union financial records to cover her tracks.
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The criminal charges come after Smith defaulted on a civil agreement she entered into with IBEW Local 1186 to repay the money it caught her stealing in order to avoid criminal prosecution.
On Jan. 31 a default judgment against Smith was entered in the amount of $55,918.13 for unpaid principal from her civil agreement and $3,320 in unpaid interest through Jan. 8.
Smith worked in member support and earned an annual salary of $49,934 in 2021, according to labor management reports filed with U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards.
Smith was charged with first-degree theft by the state Department of the Attorney General’s Special Investigation and Prosecution Division, following an investigation conducted by federal labor investigators with the Office of LaborManagement Standards.
Smith turned herself in to the state sheriffs Monday morning, according to a news release from state Attorney General Anne E. Lopez.
“Stealing from union members is a serious breach of trust,” said Lopez in a statement. “Union members expect that when they pay their dues that the money is being used for union business. My department will work to ensure that anyone who steals union resources will be held accountable.”
