By Matthew Russell Lee, Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, May 18 – William Wangerman and eight others were charged with honest services fraud in connection with Local 638 of the Enterprise Association of Steamfitters.
On June 17, 2021 U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Colleen McMahon held a proceeding.
Inner City Press covered it. It took some time to make sure all of the defendants and their lawyers were present.
Then Judge McMahon set a schedule: discovery from the government due in 30 days, defendants have 90 days to review it.
Jump cut to November 4, 2022. Inner City Press was covering the SDNY Magistrates Court, as the only media there, when Wangerman and his defense counsel came in to plead guilty before Magistrate Judge Barbara C. Moses.
Wangerman said he is 62 with some college and also some difficulties in reading due to eye sight. He used glasses he called cheaters to read his plea agreement, for eight to 14 months and a fine from $4000 to $15,000. Sentencing is set for January 30, 2023 at 4 pm.
Previously, as Inner City Press also exclusively reported, co-defendant Norton's voice broke and he seemed to cry during his allocution. Not so for Wangerman. He offered best wishes as he left the courtroom.
On May 18, 2023, James Cahill was up for sentencing. Inner City Press was there, thread here:
OK - at sentencing of James Cahill, for union corruption. His guideline is 33-41 month but the judge gave notice she might go above. Judge: Defenfant has put in a letter from former Congressman Peter King...
AUSA: Cahill had a quid pro quo relationship with Employer-1. He had an underworld relationship with capos and a Serbian mobster
Prosecutor: Cahill was selling out unions while meeting wirh Andtew Cuomo and White House staffers. We suggest 60 months
Defense: People are complicated. Judge: He had a 20 year relationship with this... He did it for chump change. Defense: Envelopes in the bathroom.
AUSA: Over $250,000 cash - $50,000 in recorded buys. The discussed ice machine and waste disposal. This is a big boy. This is not the movie Training Day.
Cahill: I fear the day my grandchildren learn about this on Google... I never meant harm to my members. Judge: Employer-1 is a bad guy. He set up the strings. But it is irrelevant
Judge: He pled and allocuted to honest services fraud. He hurt the union movement, which is already in a precarious situation. Mr Cahill, I sentence you to 51 months. Crime doesn't pay.
More detail on Substack here
The case is US v. Cahill et al, 20-cr-521 (McMahon)
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