IBEW Statement on the Convictions of Brian Ahakuelo and Marilyn Ahakuelo
News Release from IBEW, Nov 22, 2022
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers issued the following statement upon the conviction of Brian Ahakuelo and Marilyn Ahakuelo on Monday, Nov. 21:
The convictions of Brian Ahakuelo and his wife, Marilyn Ahakuelo, by a jury of their peers are a long time coming. These convictions are the direct result of the IBEW’s vigilance and dogged pursuit of justice for its members. The IBEW thanks the jury and prosecution team for ensuring that justice was served. In 2016, upon discovering irregularities in both local union spending and in the procedures surrounding a controversial dues increase, IBEW International President Lonnie R. Stephenson placed Local 1260 under International Trusteeship and returned roughly $3.75 million to Local 1260’s members. Brian Ahakuelo and Marilyn Ahakuelo were each then expelled from the IBEW for life after internal union hearings were held.
Immediately after placing Local 1260 under trusteeship in 2016, the IBEW alerted authorities to what the IBEW believed to be potentially criminal behavior by Brian Ahakuelo, and in the intervening years, IBEW officers and staff have cooperated with law enforcement’s investigation at every step to ensure justice for the members of Local 1260.
Because of the swift and decisive actions of IBEW International President Lonnie Stephenson, IBEW 9th District International Vice-President John O’Rourke, and IBEW International Representative Harold Dias, who served as the trustee of Local 1260 after it was placed under trusteeship, Local 1260 is back on firm financial footing with duly elected officers. Led by Business Manager LeRoy Chincio Jr., Local 1260 is focused on serving the local’s membership, negotiating fair contracts and improving the lives of working people across Hawaii and Guam.
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The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) represents approximately 775,000 members and retirees who work in a wide variety of fields, including construction, utilities, manufacturing, telecommunications, broadcasting, railroads and government.
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Former IBEW Local 1260 boss found guilty of fraud, embezzlement
SA: … A former union boss indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2019 for rigging a dues hike vote and using his members’ money to pay for his family’s lavish lifestyle was found guilty on all counts this afternoon.
After a four-week long jury trial before before Senior U. S. District Judge Helen Gillmor, Brian Ahakuelo, 61, the former business manager and financial secretary of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local Union 1260, and his wife, Marilyn Ahakuelo, 59, were found guilty of one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of five years, and 42 counts of wire fraud, which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
The couple was also convicted of embezzlement of a labor union asset, six counts for Brian and three for Marilyn, which each carry a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Brian Ahakuelo was also convicted of 19 counts of money laundering, with each count carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. Marilyn’s sister, Jennifer Estencion, was found not guilty of conspiracy and 42 counts of wire fraud.
“The extensive testimony and voluminous documentary evidence produced during this trial supports the just and important verdict of guilt returned by the jury as to Brian and Marilyn Ahakuelo,” said U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors, in a news release….
read … Former IBEW Local 1260 boss found guilty of fraud, embezzlement