Leticia Russi-Shareno, a 60-year-old resident of Kenmore, New York, has been sentenced to three years of probation for embezzling funds from a labor union. The sentencing was delivered by Chief United States District Court Judge Christina Reiss in Burlington, Vermont. In addition to the probation term, Russi-Shareno is required to pay $36,000 in restitution.
Russi-Shareno had pleaded guilty to wire fraud on December 10, 2024. Between August 2019 and December 2020, she served as president of Local 2076 of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). This union comprises employees from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security located in Vermont and upstate New York.
Court documents revealed that during her tenure as president, Russi-Shareno misappropriated approximately $36,000 from the union's funds. She utilized the union’s debit card for personal ATM withdrawals and purchases and falsified documentation to secure duplicate reimbursements for expenses claimed on behalf of Local 2076. Additionally, she cashed or deposited several checks intended for Local 2076 into her own account.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher acknowledged the joint efforts of investigators from the Boston and Buffalo Regional Offices of the Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards and the Department of Homeland Security.
Legal representation for Russi-Shareno was provided by Mark Kaplan, Esq., while Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas J. Aliberti and Gregory Waples handled prosecution duties.
