DETROIT – Former UAW President Gary Jones has plead guilty in a federal corruption probe and has agreed to serve up to 57 months in prison as a part of the plea deal.
Gary Jones, 63, of Texas, pled guilty to one count of conspiring to embezzle UAW dues money and conspiring to use a facility of interstate commerce to aid racketeering crimes between 2010 and September 2019.
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He also pled guilty to a separate count of conspiring to defraud the United States by evading the payment of taxes on embezzled funds and causing the UAW to file false tax returns during the same period of time.
Besides conspiring with other UAW officials to embezzle UAW funds, Jones pled guilty to conspiring with UAW officials to defraud the United States by impeding the Internal Revenue Service in the collection of taxes from Jones and other UAW officials. The conspirators also caused the UAW to file false tax returns with the IRS.
Based on each of the two counts of conspiracy, Jones faces a maximum of ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
As part of his guilty plea, Jones has agreed to forfeit his interest in $81,000 in a UAW Region 5 “flower fund,” as well as $38,000 from Jones’ Members in Solidarity account. Ostensibly, the Members in Solidarity account was intended for use in internal UAW political campaigns. Jones also agreed to forfeit a set of Titleist golf clubs seized when federal agents executed a search warrant at Jones’ home in August 2019. Finally, Jones has agreed to pay over to the government the $32,377 in cash that was also seized from his residence in August 2019.
Under the terms of the plea agreement between Jones and the government, Jones is facing an advisory sentencing guideline range of 46 to 57 months in prison.