Former Wilton Union Leader Sentenced For Bribery

WILTON, CT — A former Wilton union leader has been sentenced to two years in prison.

Glenn Blicht, who was the former president of the local International Longshoremen’s Association, pleaded guilty in October to accepting $150,000 in bribes in exchange for not representing union members' interests in New York.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: "As the president of a labor union, Glenn Blicht’s duty was to fight for his union members. Instead, he repeatedly sold them out in exchange for cash bribes, which he spent on luxury items. For this betrayal, he has been sentenced to federal prison."

According to court documents, Blicht demanded and received cash payments from a company which employed a number of members of the union. In one instance, on July 26, 2019, Blicht received a $10,000 cash bribe from an official of the employer at a restaurant in New York City, and was arrested outside this restaurant, in possession of the $10,000 bribe.

In exchange for these bribes, Blicht repeatedly declined to represent union members' interests, such as declining to pursue arbitration claims on their behalf, according to court documents. In total, Blicht received approximately $150,000 in bribes from the employer over about 10 years.

Blicht used the monies he received to purchase luxury items, such as designer watches, custom clothing, tickets to sporting events, meals at expensive restaurants, and cigars.

In addition to his prison term, Blicht was ordered to serve two years of supervised release, and to forfeit $150,000 in criminal proceeds. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Blicht has also agreed to a 13-year ban, which generally prohibits him from, among other things, being employed by a labor union or employee benefit plan.