PHILADELPHIA- Two members of the Ironworkers Local 401 pleaded guilty today to their roles in incidents that caused destruction to construction sites. Daniel Hennigar, 54, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to maliciously damaging property by means of fire. James Zinn, 28, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion which interferes with interstate commerce. U.S. District Court Judge Michael Baylson scheduled a sentencing hearing for Hennigar for Jan. 28, 2015 and Jan. 21, 2015, for Zinn.
On Dec. 20, 2012, Hennigar drove two other ironworkers, James Walsh and William Gillin, to the Quaker Meetinghouse under construction. Walsh and Gillin used an acetylene torch and gasoline to cause significant damage to the construction site in retaliation for the contractor’s failure to hire union ironworkers.
Zinn admitted to his role in a series of incidents during which members of the union damaged non-union construction sites in an attempt to force non-union contractors to hire union ironworkers. Those incidents included $25,000 in damage to the Wallingford Elementary School construction site and $25,000 in damage at a Merion East Golf Course in Ardmore, PA.
Hennigar faces a five year mandatory minimum term of imprisonment. Each defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, a $100 special assessment, and possible restitution.
The case was investigated jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, with assistance provided by the Philadelphia Police Department Corruption Task Force, East Whiteland Township Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Employee Benefit Security Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Livermore with legal assistance provided by Gerald Toner, Acting Deputy Chief for Labor-Management Racketeering, Organized Crime and Gang Section at the Department of Justice.
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EASTERN DISTRICTof PENNSYLVANIA
Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
PATTY HARTMAN, Media Contact, 215-861-8525
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
