Pascagoula Woman Sentenced for Embezzlement of Labor Funds

Gulfport, Miss.  -- A Pascagoula woman was sentenced to three years of probation and six months under house arrest with electronic monitoring for embezzlement of labor organization funds, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca.

According to court documents, from January 2016, through February 2020, Lisa Bennett, 51, an elected business agent and self-appointed secretary and treasurer of the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 204, in Pascagoula, embezzled and converted to her own use and the use of others, funds of the OPEIU Local 204 Labor organization.  Bennett’s embezzlement included her writing of unauthorized checks from the union’s checking account to herself for lost time she was not entitled to receive and payments of personal cell phone bills for herself and family members. She also doubled her salary without authorization. 

Bennett pled guilty in February 2023 to embezzlement of labor organization funds.  

At the sentencing hearing on June 12, 2023, the Court also ordered Bennett to pay restitution in the amount of $33,236.93 to the OPEIU.   

The case was investigated by the U. S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Meynardie and Andrea Jones.