Joseph Olivieri, Former Trustee of Carpenters Union Benefit Funds, Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to 18 Months in Prison for Perjury Conviction
One of 10 Defendants Convicted in a Crackdown on Union Corruption

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOSEPH OLIVIERI was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 18 months in prison for perjury. OLIVIERI is the former executive director of the Association of Wall, Ceiling, and Carpentry Industries of New York (the “Wall & Ceiling Association”) and a former trustee of the benefit funds managed for the District Council of New York City and Vicinity of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners (the “Carpenters Union”). He was convicted by a jury after a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero in October 2010.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney PREET BHARARA stated: “Joseph Olivieri was a corrupt union trustee who, along with his cronies both inside and outside the union, exploited the hard-working carpenters whose pension and benefit funds he was supposed to protect. Today’s sentence is the latest result of this office’s campaign to root out organized crime and corruption in the union and to prosecute those responsible.”

According to the evidence presented at trial and other documents and proceedings in this case:

OLIVIERI lied under oath about his ties to the Genovese Organized Crime Family, as well as his ties to a union contractor who was defrauding the Carpenters Union benefit funds while he was a trustee. OLIVIERI committed this perjury during a court-ordered deposition in a civil RICO case the United States Attorney’s Office brought against the Carpenters Union that was intended to rid the union of corruption and organized crime influence.

OLIVIERI is one of 10 defendants convicted in this case, and was the only one to go to trial. He is the eighth defendant to be sentenced. The other defendants sentenced to date are:

MICHAEL FORDE, 56, the former executive secretary treasurer of the District Council (its top position), pled guilty on July 28, 2010, to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of racketeering. He was sentenced on November 19, 2010, to 11 years in prison.

BRIAN HAYES, 40, a former business agent of Local 608, pled guilty on August 20, 2010, to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of racketeering. He was sentenced on January 14, 2011, to 30 months in prison.

MICHAEL BRENNAN, 55, of Bushkill, Pennsylvania, who was a union shop steward, pled guilty on July 6, 2010, to one count of racketeering. He was sentenced on December 17, 2010, to five years in prison.

BRIAN CARSON, 50, of the Bronx, New York, who was a union shop steward, pled guilty on April 5, 2010, to one count of aiding and abetting the embezzlement of monies from union benefit funds. He was sentenced on August 13, 2010, to 19 months in prison.

MICHAEL VIVENZIO, 63, of Mahwah, New Jersey, who was a union shop steward, pled guilty on June 23, 2010, to one count of aiding and abetting the embezzlement of monies from union benefit funds. He was sentenced on December 17, 2010, to 19 months in prison.

JOSEPH RUOCCO, 51, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, who was a union shop steward, pled guilty on July 8, 2010, to one count of aiding and abetting the embezzlement of monies from union benefit funds. He was sentenced on January 14, 2011, to one year and one day in prison.

JOHN STAMBERGER, 54, of Brick, New Jersey, who was a union shop steward, pled guilty on March 12, 2010, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and unlawful acceptance of payments by a labor representative. He was sentenced on January 21, 2011, to five years’ probation.

Two defendants remain to be sentenced. JOHN GREANEY, 51, of Yonkers, New York, who was the former president and business manager of Local 608, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17, 2011, at 2:30 p.m. GREANEY pled guilty on July 16, 2010, to one count of racketeering conspiracy, one count of racketeering, four counts of wire-fraud conspiracy, four counts of deprivation of honest services, two counts of unlawful acceptance of payments by a labor representative, and one count of perjury.

FINBAR O’NEILL, 45, of Paramus, New Jersey, who is a contractor, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2011, at 4:00 p.m. O’NEILL pled guilty on May 20, 2010, to one count of making unlawful payments to labor representatives, and one count of conspiracy to make such unlawful payments.

In addition to his prison term, Judge MARRERO sentenced OLIVIERI, 56, of Briarcliff Manor, New York, to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay a $10,000 fine.

Mr. BHARARA praised the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General for their outstanding work in investigating this case.

The prosecution is being handled by the Organized Crime Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys LISA ZORNBERG and MARK LANPHER are in charge of the prosecution.