UNION BOSS AND FORMER EMPLOYEE CHARGED WITH RACKETEERING
AND OTHER CRIMINAL CHARGES

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Walter J. Browne, president of the National Federation of Public and Private Employees Union, along with his sister, Patricia Browne Devaney, a former administrative assistant, were arrested and indicted today on racketeering and other criminal charges resulting in the loss of over $400,000 to the Union, the Justice Department announced. The organization represents employees of the Florida Broward County School Board, Sheriff's Office, County Commissioner's Office and numerous other cities.

The indictment, filed today in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Florida, Fort Lauderdale Division, charges that from approximately 1994 through 2001, Browne and Devaney engaged in racketeering by using their positions within the union to dominate and control its operation for their personal gain. Additionally, they are accused of engaging in a pattern of criminal activity consisting of mail and bank fraud, embezzlement, gambling and unlawful labor practices.

The charges stem in part from Browne's unlawful receipt of money from multiple employers whose employees Browne's union represented, sought to represent, or would have admitted to membership. Browne is alleged to have improperly requested or received money from HVIDE Marine, Inc., a provider of marine transportation services operating as Seabulk International; International Cruises, Inc., a venture which sought to bring a third gambling ship to the Port Everglades, Florida in the 1995; SeaAmerica Cruise Lines, a venture currently attempting to build and operate a U.S. flagged cruise line; and Coleary Transport, Inc., a former steamship agency company. Browne's receipt or request of monies from employers totaled over $300,000.

Browne is also charged with defrauding the union by submitting false entertainment vouchers, using union funds to purchase personal airline tickets and billing the union for almost $3,000 in personal telephone calls made on a union-issued cellular phone. In addition, Browne is charged with embezzling $30,000 by giving a union-owned vehicle as a gift to Devaney and having the union incur the cost of insurance and operation of the car. He also is charged with violating Florida state law by hosting weekly high stakes poker games at the union hall.

Devaney is charged with racketeering for her role in the submission of false vouchers, the use of union credit cards to purchase personal airline tickets and the receipt of the car. In addition, Devaney is charged with embezzling approximately $116,000 from the union over a three and a half year period by using her position as an administrative assistant to issue unauthorized payrolls checks to herself, her daughter and husband. Devaney then forged the endorsement signatures on the checks issued in her husband's and daughter's names and deposited the checks into her own banking account.

Conviction of racketeering charges carries a maximum statutory penalty of not more than twenty years imprisonment and not more than a $500,000 fine.

The Organized Crime and Racketeering Section is handling this prosecution pursuant to the recusal of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Julia Stiller of the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section of the Department of Justice.

An indictment contains only allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

PRESS CONTACTS:

Department of Justice: Casey Stavropoulos (202)514-2008

Department of Labor: William H. Pickle (202)693-5211

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