2 Former Union Presidents Among 7 Indicted in Boilermaker Scheme

Yesterday, a federal grand jury in Kansas indicted seven individuals, including five current and former high-level officers of the Boilermakers Union for alleged roles in a $20 million embezzlement scheme that spanned 15 years.The defendants, led by 71-year-old former union president Newton Jones and 76-year-old former secretary-treasurer William Creeden are charged with widespread embezzlement of union funds.Over the last 15 years, the pair led a scheme that included more than $5 million in unnecessary luxury international travel and more than $2 million in salary and benefits to Kateryna Jones and Cullen Jones for no-show jobs. They weren't required to work and 32-year-old Kateryna Jones was paid two years of salary while living in Ukraine and dating Newton Jones. The union also paid for hundreds of fraudulent restaurant charges for the couple.