Leader Of Brooklyn Chapter Of The United Brotherhood Of Carpenters Convicted In Union Bribery Scheme
Salvatore Tagliaferro, president of Local 926 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, was convicted of honest services wire fraud, conversion of union assets, and conspiracy for soliciting $600–$2,000 cash bribes from over 800 prospective members in exchange for fraudulent union membership, splitting at least $70,000 each with co-conspirator John DeFalco, with sentencing scheduled for July 27, 2021.
Salvatore Tagliaferro, president of Local 926 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, was convicted on three counts—conspiracy, conversion of union assets, and honest services wire fraud—for orchestrating a bribery scheme from 2017 to 2019. He and co-conspirator John DeFalco collected cash payments of $600 to $2,000 from over 800 prospective members in exchange for union admission, despite more than half of these new members never working a single union job. Tagliaferro and DeFalco each received at least $70,000 from the bribes, collected during clandestine early morning meetings, and Tagliaferro faces up to 30 years in prison at his July 27, 2021 sentencing.
Salvatore Tagliaferro, president of Local 926 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters in Brooklyn, was convicted in Manhattan federal court of honest services wire fraud, conversion of union assets, and conspiracy for leading a bribery scheme that ran from 2017 through June 2019. Working with co-conspirator John DeFalco, former vice president of Local 157, Tagliaferro solicited cash payments of $600 to $2,000 from over 800 prospective union members in exchange for fraudulent membership, using his authority to secure their admission. Despite the dramatic increase in membership, more than half of the new members never worked a single union job, revealing the scheme’s purely financial motive. The bribes were collected during clandestine early morning meetings outside construction sites in lower Manhattan, with Tagliaferro and DeFalco each receiving at least $70,000. The scheme exploited union membership as a commodity, undermining the integrity of the labor organization and defrauding its legitimate members. The case was prosecuted by the Southern District of New York’s Public Corruption Unit, following a joint investigation by the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor-Management Standards, and the New York City Department of Investigation. Tagliaferro is scheduled to be sentenced on July 27, 2021, facing a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison across the three convictions.
Extracted insights
- $70K $70,000 $10K–$100K
- $2K $2,000 <$10K
- $600 $600 <$10K
- person audrey strauss
- person cash bribes
- person investigative work
- person jarrod schaeffer
- person john defalco
- scheme_term of honest services wire fraud, conversion of union assets, and conspiracy
- person salvatore tagliaferro
- person thomas mckay
- Salvatore Tagliaferro was found guilty of honest services wire fraud, conversion of union assets, and conspiracy
- Audrey Strauss announced that Salvatore Tagliaferro was found guilty
- Salvatore Tagliaferro solicited cash bribes from prospective Union members
- Salvatore Tagliaferro accepted cash bribes
- Salvatore Tagliaferro split cash bribes with John DeFalco
- John DeFalco split cash bribes with Salvatore Tagliaferro
- Salvatore Tagliaferro is scheduled to appear for sentencing on July 27, 2021
- Salvatore Tagliaferro received at least $70,000
- John DeFalco received at least $70,000
- Local 926 ballooned by over 800 new members
- Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General conducted investigative work
- Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards conducted investigative work
- New York City Department of Investigation conducted investigative work
- Thomas McKay is in charge of the prosecution
- Jarrod Schaeffer is in charge of the prosecution
Press Release Leader Of Brooklyn Chapter Of The United Brotherhood Of Carpenters Convicted In Union Bribery Scheme Wednesday, April 28, 2021 Share FacebookLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. XLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. LinkedInLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. Email For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SALVATORE TAGLIAFERRO, the president of Local 926 chapter of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (the “Union”), was found guilty today in Manhattan federal court of honest services wire fraud, conversion of union assets, and conspiracy, in connection with his involvement in a scheme to solicit cash bribes from hundreds of prospective members in exchange for union membership. The jury convicted TAGLIAFERRO today following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty. TAGLIAFERRO is scheduled to appear for sentencing before Judge Crotty on July 27, 2021. U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As a unanimous jury has now found, Salvatore Tagliaferro is guilty of old-fashioned corruption – betraying his duty to the union and the trust of its hard-working members by taking cash bribes to line his own pockets.” As reflected in the Indictment, public filings, and the evidence presented at trial: From at least in or about 2017 up through and including in or about June 2019, TAGLIAFERRO, as the President of the Local 926 chapter of the Union in Brooklyn, abused his position as an officer and employee of the Union by soliciting and accepting cash bribes from prospective Union members in exchange for securing the bribe payors’ admission to the Local 926. Working with other co-conspirators, including John DeFalco, the former Vice President of the Local 157 chapter of the Union in Manhattan, TAGLIAFERRO identified prospective members and solicited cash payments in amounts ranging from $600 to $2,000. Once prospective members had paid bribes, TAGLIAFERRO then used his authority to ensure they were admitted into the Local 926 and received Union membership cards. Over the course of the scheme, the Local 926 ballooned by over 800 new members, but for two years more than half of the new members never worked a single Union job. TAGLIAFERRO and DeFalco split the cash bribes obtained from the bribe payors’ during clandestine early morning meetings outside a construction site in lower Manhattan, and each received at least $70,000 as a result of the scheme. * * * TAGLIAFERRO was found guilty of one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of conversion of union assets, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Ms. Strauss praised the investigative work of the Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards, and the New York City Department of Investigation. This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas McKay and Jarrod Schaeffer and are in charge of the prosecution. Contact James Margolin, Nicholas Biase (212) 637-2600 Updated April 28, 2021 Topic Labor & Employment Component USAO - New York, Southern Press Release Number: 21-102
Press Release Leader Of Brooklyn Chapter Of The United Brotherhood Of Carpenters Convicted In Union Bribery Scheme Wednesday, April 28, 2021 Share FacebookLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. XLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. LinkedInLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. Email For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SALVATORE TAGLIAFERRO, the president of Local 926 chapter of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (the “Union”), was found guilty today in Manhattan federal court of honest services wire fraud, conversion of union assets, and conspiracy, in connection with his involvement in a scheme to solicit cash bribes from hundreds of prospective members in exchange for union membership. The jury convicted TAGLIAFERRO today following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty. TAGLIAFERRO is scheduled to appear for sentencing before Judge Crotty on July 27, 2021. U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As a unanimous jury has now found, Salvatore Tagliaferro is guilty of old-fashioned corruption – betraying his duty to the union and the trust of its hard-working members by taking cash bribes to line his own pockets.” As reflected in the Indictment, public filings, and the evidence presented at trial: From at least in or about 2017 up through and including in or about June 2019, TAGLIAFERRO, as the President of the Local 926 chapter of the Union in Brooklyn, abused his position as an officer and employee of the Union by soliciting and accepting cash bribes from prospective Union members in exchange for securing the bribe payors’ admission to the Local 926. Working with other co-conspirators, including John DeFalco, the former Vice President of the Local 157 chapter of the Union in Manhattan, TAGLIAFERRO identified prospective members and solicited cash payments in amounts ranging from $600 to $2,000. Once prospective members had paid bribes, TAGLIAFERRO then used his authority to ensure they were admitted into the Local 926 and received Union membership cards. Over the course of the scheme, the Local 926 ballooned by over 800 new members, but for two years more than half of the new members never worked a single Union job. TAGLIAFERRO and DeFalco split the cash bribes obtained from the bribe payors’ during clandestine early morning meetings outside a construction site in lower Manhattan, and each received at least $70,000 as a result of the scheme. * * * TAGLIAFERRO was found guilty of one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of conversion of union assets, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Ms. Strauss praised the investigative work of the Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards, and the New York City Department of Investigation. This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas McKay and Jarrod Schaeffer and are in charge of the prosecution. Contact James Margolin, Nicholas Biase (212) 637-2600 Updated April 28, 2021 Topic Labor & Employment Component USAO - New York, Southern Press Release Number: 21-102