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Woman Charged With Embezzling MIllions From Sandhogs
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 2, 2009
Modified Dec 2, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 2, 2009
Modified Dec 2, 2009
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Melissa King, who handled management of the Sandhogs union's benefits plan, was charged with embezzling $42 million from those plans! According to the NY Times, federal prosecutors say King, who was paid $540,000/year, funneled the money into accounts she controlled and the money "went toward expenses that appeared to be unrelated to union business, including $7.2 million to American Express, more than $3 million to equestrian businesses and $713,500 to a jewelry business." That equestrian business was to support her teen daughter, a junior champion horse jumper. The Sandhogs are the workers who are building the Third Water Tunnel and are involved in other infrastructure project. King was charged with theft and money laundering; she's out on $10 million bail.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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