PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Four of the defendants connected to former union boss John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty’s embezzlement case have pleaded guilty this week, as part of plea deals offered by the Feds just weeks before he is expected to go on trial.
Marita Crawford was the former political director for IBEW Local 98 and was the first to plead guilty to four counts of wire fraud.
Crawford’s attorney, Fortunato Perri, says she has “accepted responsibility” and is happy to move forward.
The Feds allege the scheme, which totaled more than $600,000, took place from April 2010 to August 2016. They say Crawford and others including Michael Neill, Niko Rodriguez, and Dougherty’s nephew Brian Fiocca spent union funds for non-union related items, and used the apprentice training program and certain construction materials to renovate homes and a bar owned by Dougherty.
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They say Dougherty directed Rodriguez and Fiocca to do non-union work like yard work, snow removal, and errands and chores for Dougherty’s family while being paid union wages.
Neill, who was the training director for the apprentice program, pleaded guilty to four counts of embezzlement of labor union assets and two other related charges.
Rodriguez and Fiocca each pleaded guilty to six counts of embezzlement of labor union assets. Rodriguez’s attorney called the man a “dedicated family man” and said the government dropped the conspiracy charge in exchange for the guilty plea.
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Dougherty and co-defendant Brian Burrows maintain their innocence. They are set to go to trial in a few weeks. The four who have pleaded will not be sentenced until after the trial.
Dougherty and former Councilmember Bobby Henon were convicted in November 2021 of bribery, also during a federal trial. Dougherty was found guilty of conspiracy and honest services fraud for bribing Henon with campaign contributions and a union salary.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story inadvertently said that Crawford admitted she spent money on vacations, restaurants, food shopping, electronics, clothes, gifts, and other personal expenses, when in fact she pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud, the object of which was to obtain money and property from Local 98 by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises.