Former Corpus Christi United Steelworkers president pleads guilty to embezzlement
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 42-year-old Corpus Christi resident pleaded guilty on Monday to embezzling from a local labor union.
Wire Fraud and Embezzlement
Robert Cirilo, a former president of the United Steelworkers Local 13-1647 in Corpus Christi, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of embezzlement from the labor organization.
The backstory:
Cirilo admitted he made approximately 430 unauthorized transactions from union accounts for personal purchases. He also hid those transactions by lying to union members, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
As part of his plea, he acknowledged the embezzlement totaled more than $280,000.
What's next:
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing Aug. 12.
Cirilo faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine for wire fraud and up to five years and a possible $10,000 fine on the embezzlement count.
The Source: Information in this article is from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas.