NEW: Union Vice President to Plead Guilty to Federal Fraud and Tax Charges
Thursday, December 01, 2011
According to documents filed today in the U.S. District Court in Providence, R.I., Kenneth Aurecchia, 63, of Johnston, R.I., a regional vice president of the United Association of Journeyman and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry, has agreed to plead guilty to federal fraud and tax charges.
According to an information and plea agreement filed with the court, it is alleged that Aurecchia fraudulently received more than $100,000 from various union and non-union entities by obtaining duplicate expense reimbursements, and that he failed to pay nearly $18,000 in federal taxes.
The investigation into Kenneth Aurecchia and the filing of the information and plea agreement were announced by U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Robert L. Panella, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Region of the Department of Labor – Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations (OLRFI); and William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston office of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations.
According to court documents, Aurecchia has held positions with the international union and local 51 of the labor organization located in East Providence, R.I., as well as with various union related committees and trust funds since 2000. It is alleged that on numerous occasions Aurecchia traveled to conferences and attended functions related to his positions, and fraudulently applied for and obtained multiple reimbursements for related expenses totaling $107,515. It is also alleged that Aurecchia failed to pay $17,886 in taxes to the IRS for tax years 2005- 2007.
