Former Union Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement of Funds and Falsifying of Financial Records

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Blaine, Minnesota, has been sentenced in federal court to six months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release that includes in-home incarceration for the first 180 days, on his conviction of embezzlement and theft of union assets, and falsification of financial records required to be kept by labor unions, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Donald W. Byers, 50, formerly of Tyrone, Pennsylvania, on October 1, 2024.

According to information presented to the Court, Byers was the treasurer of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Division 287. From June 2017 through December 2020, Byers used his position to embezzle over $44,000 of union money by issuing more than 50 unauthorized checks to himself. Byers also falsified a financial report filed with the Department of Labor's Office of Labor-Management Standards and forged the signature of a union officer on many of the checks.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Colville stated that Byers's crime was serious and that incarceration was warranted because of Byers's criminal history, among other factors.

Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Cessar and Jacqueline Brown prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Department of Labor's Office of Labor-Management Standards for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Byers.