Walbridge man accused of embezzling from labor union

A former labor union official was indicted on charges that he embezzled from the union, said Carole S. Rendon, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Guy Gokey, 65, of Walbridge, Ohio, was charged in a two-count indictment with  one count of embezzlement from a labor organization and one count of making a false statement on a labor organization report. 

Gokey served as financial secretary for Glass Molders and Plastics AFL-CIO, Local 59, from 1986 through 2014. He embezzled approximately $14,074 from the union, according to the indictment.  

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

The investigating agency in this case is the United States Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards, in Cleveland, Ohio.  The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Hood.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.