BALTIMORE — A former union treasurer has pleaded guilty to embezzling at least $82,000 from the labor union where she worked.
According to the State's Attorney's Office, 45-year-old Annette Elezaberg Jones served as the former treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees (“AFGE”) Local Union 331, which represents approximately 760 employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Perry Point, Maryland.
They say Jones conducted two fraud schemes starting from July 2012 through July 2015 when she stole over $80,000 in funds by forging her colleagues’ signatures on 335 Union checks that she wrote to herself. In the second incident, which was from January 2014 through July 2015, she used $1,235.93 in Union cards to pay for personal expenses.
Officials say Jones documented false information within the Union records, which were then submitted to the federal government. She was caught by the Union's President who overheard a phone call that she was planning to use the Union's credit card to buy a cell phone for her family member.
After investigating the Union's account and finding forged checks, reviewing bank statements, and discovering numerous personal charges on her person union-issued card, Jones was removed as treasurer and she resigned shortly after.
Jones confessed to the embezzling scheme and will be sentenced to two years in federal prison. She will also be required to pay the total amount stolen as restitution.
