U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest | U.S. Department of Justice
Leticia Russi-Shareno, 60, from Kenmore, New York, has entered a guilty plea in the United States District Court in Burlington for wire fraud. The announcement came from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont. Chief U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss released her under conditions pending sentencing on May 22.
Russi-Shareno was charged with wire fraud through a one-count information filed by the United States Attorney on November 20, 2024. The charges detail that between August 2019 and December 2020, she served as president of Local 2076 of the American Federation of Government Employees. This labor union includes employees from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security based in Vermont and upstate New York.
During her tenure as president, Russi-Shareno had check signing authority and access to a debit card for official purchases on behalf of Local 2076. According to court documents, she embezzled approximately $36,000 by making ATM withdrawals and personal purchases using the union's debit card. Additionally, she falsified paperwork to receive duplicate reimbursements for expenses incurred on behalf of Local 2076 and cashed or deposited checks meant for Local 2076 into her own account.
Russi-Shareno could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine reaching $250,000. Her actual sentence will be determined by the District Court following guidance from advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and statutory sentencing factors.
The investigation was conducted by the Boston and Buffalo Regional Offices of the Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards along with the Department of Homeland Security.
Mark Kaplan represents Russi-Shareno while Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples is prosecuting the case.
