A former labor union president from Corpus Christi has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of wire fraud and embezzlement. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced that Robert Cirilo, 42, received a sentence of 21 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Cirilo admitted to using union debit cards for about 430 unauthorized personal purchases between June 2021 and January 2024 while serving as president of United Steelworkers Local 13-1647. He concealed these transactions by providing false information to union members. The total amount embezzled exceeded $280,000.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos ordered Cirilo to pay more than $280,000 in restitution. Cirilo pleaded guilty on April 28, 2025.
"Robert Cirilo pleaded guilty April 28, 2025."
"U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Cirilo to serve 21 months in federal prison, to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. The court also ordered him to pay more than $280,000 in restitution."
"From June 2021 to January 2024, Cirilo, former president of the United Steelworkers Local 13-1647 in Corpus Christi, used union debit cards to make approximately 430 unauthorized personal purchases. He concealed the transactions by lying to union members."
"As part of his guilty plea, he acknowledged the embezzlement totaled more than $280,000."
"Cirilo was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future."
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Department of Labor’s Office of Labor Management Standards. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Foster and John Marck prosecuted the case.
