Union president stole $600K from plus benefits, feds say

A former union president and administrator of two union affiliated benefit funds was charged with embezzling over $600,000 from her labor organization between 2015 and 2018.

Dorothy McBride, 74, of Montville, who had control over the bank accounts, made routine payments to her personal American Express, Barclays, Bloomingdale's and Neiman Marcus accounts using the union and employee benefit funds, according to the federal criminal complaint against McBride.

She also directed monthly payments from the pension fund for herself, according to the complaint, which said several relatives served as trustees or officers of the union and the funds.

Following an audit in July 2018, McBride and her relatives were removed from their positions and the the funds placed into trusteeship by the union's parent company.

According to the spring 2018 IUE-CWA newsletter "The Bolt," McBride was the elected to head CWA Local 81427 in 2017.

McBride was released on $250,000 bond following a court appearance on Thursday.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ