She served for years as the office manager and bookkeeper for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers until they caught her embezzling big money and now she’s headed to federal prison following sentencing Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney.
Stephanie DeBoer reportedly used union dues money for things ranging from $5,000 worth of lingerie from Victoria’s Secret to nearly a grand in Katy Perry concert tickets. The 41-year old from Cedar Springs will spend four years behind bars and have to pay full restitution for embezzling more than $307,000 from the trade union between 2012 and 2015 by writing unauthorized checks to herself and others, making unauthorized payroll deposits, sending money to pay off her credit cards, and making unauthorized purchases like those at Victoria’s Secret and for entertainment venue tickets.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge says after her time in prison and full restitution she will also have to serve a period of supervision as well.
DeBoer was the former office manager and bookkeeper of the Edmore, Michigan Local 876 of the IBEW, when she used more than $89,000 of the embezzled money to make payments on 16 different personal credit cards, and more than $54,000 in unauthorized charges on two different union officers’ union-issued credit cards.
James Vanderberg, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Chicago Region Office of Inspector General, says, “Stephanie DeBoer abused her fiduciary responsibility as the office manager and bookkeeper by embezzling more than $300,000 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers – Local Union 876.” He adds, “We will continue to work with our federal and state law enforcement partners and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards to safeguard the assets of union members.”
Ian Burg is District Director of the Detroit-Milwaukee region. He says, “Safeguarding union finances and combatting embezzlement of union funds in labor unions is a very high priority for the Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards.” He adds, “The embezzlement by Ms. DeBoer was significant, and the $307,563 she embezzled for her personal use was the equivalent of more than 15-percent of the union’s annual dues receipts and nearly 25-percent of its reported cash on hand.” He adds, “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that OLMS will fully investigate and seek justice when anyone attempts to use their union position for personal financial gain.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and the Office of Labor Management Standards. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay Stiffler.
