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* This has to be one of the stranger press releases I’ve ever received from the US Attorney’s office. Apparently, they busted Bill Dugan on a misdemeanor charge for soliciting a $900 animal feeder for his Maryland buffalo farm from an employer. Dugan, you probably know, was president of Local 150 of the Operating Engineers for many years.
Dugan’s farm was raided a couple of years ago by the feds, who carted off a bunch of documents. He retired soon after. Here’s the announcement, made by three bigtime crime fighters, the US Attorney, the top dog in Chicago’s FBI and the “Special Agent-in-Charge of the US Department of Labor Office of Inspector General in Chicago.” OK, two bigtime crime fighters and one other guy…
The retired leader of a regional labor union local was charged today with violating federal labor law by allegedly demanding and accepting livestock feeders from a company that employed the union local’s workers for his buffalo farm in Maryland. The defendant, William E. Dugan, was charged in a single-count criminal information filed in U.S. District Court, announced Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; James Vanderberg, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General in Chicago; and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Dugan, 76, of Hancock, Md., and formerly of Mt. Prospect, was president and business manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, headquartered in Countryside. The 23,000-member local represents workers in construction and a variety of other industries in Indiana, Illinois and Iowa.
Dugan will be ordered to appear for arraignment on the misdemeanor charge, which is violation of the U.S. Labor-Management Relations Act, at a later date in U.S. District Court.
According to the charges, in April 2005, Dugan demanded and accepted concrete buffalo feeders valued at more than $900 from Company A, whose workers were represented by Local 150.
The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick King. Other Labor Department branches that participated in the investigation are the Employee Benefits Security Administration and the Office of Labor Management Standards.
The labor law violation carries a maximum penalty of a year in prison and a $100,000 fine. If convicted, the Court would determine a reasonable sentence to be imposed under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
Dugan was a wealthy man, so it was stupid and arrogant to be doing something like “buffaloing” an employer into buying some cheap concrete feeders. But that this long federal investigation has resulted in such a minor charge makes one wonder why they bothered.
*** UPDATE *** From Crain’s…
In a statement, Joseph Duffy, the attorney for William Dugan, the retired president and business manager of Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, said Mr. Dugan has “acknowledged receiving a thing of value from a contractor worth less than $1,000, specifically concrete piping,” and will plead to misdemeanor charges in the matter as part of a deal with federal prosecutors. […]
Sources close to the matter said further charges are likely in the case. But the one charge alone of violating federal labor law carries a potential penalty of up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
So, he agrees to take the misdemeanor but more charges may be likely?
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Mar 8, 10 @ 3:02 pm
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Also, there doesn’t seem to be even a hint in the release that Dugan is intending to roll over.
Instead, they spent a small fortune pursuing the guy, essentially forced him into retirement and all they have to show for their efforts at the moment is a $900 misdemeanor.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Mar 8, 10 @ 3:22 pm
According to the charges, in April 2005, Dugan demanded and accepted concrete buffalo feeders valued at more than $900 from Company A, whose workers were represented by Local 150.
It wasn’t just that. He also demanded and accepted other buffalo-related items.
1.)Buffalo nickle
2.)Buffalo Bills beer cozy
3.)Buffalo shaped log
Has this man no shame?
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Mar 8, 10 @ 3:26 pm
They bother because they are the sole guardians of all that is right and pure, so, like Mighty Mouse, they will pursue all evil large or small, and smite it. Someone there should learn about wheat and chaff, but no one will. Remember Scooter Libby and Arkansas and B&H, these guys are either unable or unwilling to do what real people do every day in life, separate real from bulls__t.
Comment by steve schnorf Monday, Mar 8, 10 @ 3:52 pm
and this big press release like they really accomplished something. Thank goodness illegal feeders were stopped! Next up, a man who wasn’t wearing his seat belt!
Comment by dc Monday, Mar 8, 10 @ 4:01 pm
My betting is that one of 2 things happened:
1) The Feds originally had more counts up for consideration before the GJ, but something blew up those counts, and they had to “lose” them off the case.
Notice how the situation described occurred in April, 2005. That may be when the supposed act occurred, but it may have actually been initiated prior to April, 2005. The date in the press release is just short of five (5) years, and this April, 2005 timeframe may have represented their last shot before running out of time (Statute of Limitations). The clock can also work against you.
2) The GJ just didn’t buy what they (the AUSA’s) were selling. Just as legislation fails and the failure can be attributed to the strangest of reasons, so too can cases presented before a GJ. Seen counts rejected before by a GJ.
Comment by Judgment Day Is On The Way Monday, Mar 8, 10 @ 4:05 pm
JDay, you’re probably right. That ticking clock is a bear.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Mar 8, 10 @ 4:09 pm
so, during an investigation they find something illegal but because it is not a higher level charge they should ignore it?
Comment by Amalia Monday, Mar 8, 10 @ 4:19 pm
They shouldn’t ignore crimes, but a misdemeanor justifies this grand presentation?
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Mar 8, 10 @ 4:25 pm
I went trick-or-treating and all I got was a bag full of rocks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY-FaTuuglo
Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Mar 8, 10 @ 4:38 pm
clearly they had ideas about crimes. this is what they found, he’ll probably make a deal, and they are probably looking at other things. is there something else that Dugan touches which could net bigger fish?
Comment by Amalia Monday, Mar 8, 10 @ 5:28 pm
The federales have incredible power over the rest of us.
Either they want him to flip, or are mad he didn’t flip well enough.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Mar 8, 10 @ 7:27 pm
Or he did flip so he was only charged with the misdemeanor.
Comment by fed up Monday, Mar 8, 10 @ 7:36 pm
Steve, +1.
Comment by Rambler Monday, Mar 8, 10 @ 10:22 pm