By Matthew Reisen
Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A recently released audit alleges that a former high-ranking member of the Bernalillo County corrections officers union stole more than $100,000 from the organization and forged a subordinate’s signature to do so.
Connie Derr, executive director of Council 18 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said in a statement that an audit “revealed a number of financial discrepancies and violations” between January 2012 and August 2019.
“The national union has sent a letter to the party responsible for these transactions, informing them of a 30-day deadline to pay back all funds in full,” Derr said. “AFSCME takes potential financial mismanagement or malfeasance extremely seriously. We hope to handle this matter internally and that the funds will be returned.... If this doesn’t happen, then the appropriate actions will be taken.”
The minutes of an April 13 union meeting detail the results of a 2018 audit, released April 7, which found $111,710 in “inappropriate checks” written to a former top union official with the forged signature of a subordinate.
The minutes state that the subordinate was cleared of any wrongdoing and notice has been sent to the other official requiring payment of the full amount by May 10. If the amount is not repaid, the bonding company may pursue criminal charges, according to the minutes.
The accused official, who no longer works at the Metropolitan Detention Center, did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Joseph Trujeque, current president of the union, declined to comment.
An MDC corrections officer and union member called the situation “bogus.”
“The amount they said we had in our account didn’t add up to the amount we put in monthly. I was questioning it ... but they didn’t want to do an audit then,” he said.
The union member said he and other members were told the union can’t take up arbitration or take other actions due to being low on funds and they had been questioning the lack of funds since 2015.
“I stopped paying my dues for a while because I was like ‘I don’t know where the money’s going,’ so I stopped paying,” the union member said.
He said things have been “pretty bad” between members and the administration, and the fraud case only widened the divide. The union member said several members are thinking about stopping their dues and, six months ago, had asked for a vote of “no confidence” on the administration but the union board repeatedly denied the request.
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