BOSTON — A Leominster man was sentenced on May 1, 2026, in federal court in Worcester for embezzling nearly $50,000 from a Gardner-based labor union, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced today.
Joe Scott Jr., 55, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 42 months of probation, including six months of home confinement. Scott was also ordered to pay $49,559 in restitution.
Scott pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of embezzlement from a labor union.
Scott was treasurer of the International Union of Electrical Workers, Communication Workers of America, Local 81154, a Gardner-based labor union chapter that represents union members from various employers in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Federal prosecutors say Scott used his position as treasurer to embezzle approximately $49,559 from the union by making debit card purchases, withdrawing funds and issuing checks from union bank accounts for his personal benefit. Some of the personal expenses Scott used the money for included storage costs, home internet and cell phone services, electrical and gas services, home improvement tools, dumpster rental, and personal expenses while on a vacation.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jonathan Russo, district director of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards, announced the sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
