FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 2, 2006

FORMER LABOR LEADERS SENTENCED FOR
EMBEZZLEMENT FROM UNION

DENVER - Bill Leone, United States Attorney for the District of Colorado, announced that STEPHEN L. BUSH, age 29, of Greeley, and his father, RONALD BUSH, age 59, of Greeley, were both sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Blackburn for embezzling money from the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 990. STEPHEN BUSH, a former business agent for UFCW Local 990, was ordered to serve 5 years of probation, with the first 6 months in home detention with electronic monitoring, and pay $20,385.98 in restitution to the labor union. RONALD BUSH, a former President of UFCW Local 990, was also ordered to serve 5 years of probation, with the first 6 months in home detention with electronic monitoring, and pay $4,457.00 in restitution.

STEPHEN BUSH was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on June 20, 2005. He pled guilty on October 6, 2005. RONALD BUSH waived his right to indictment, and was charged by Information on June 29, 2005. He pled guilty on July 8, 2005.

According to the stipulated facts of both defendants’ plea agreements, STEPHEN and RONALD BUSH were full time employees of UFCW Local 990 in Greeley, Colorado, where they worked as business agents and officers. As employees of UFCW, they were issued credit cards to be used for official business expenses only. Both defendants used their union business credit cards for personal purchases, including a big screen television and personal travel.

This case was investigated by the Employment Standards Administration, Office of Labor Management Standards for the United States Department of Labor. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Mydans.

####