Long Island Union Leader Pleads Guilty To Threatening Business Owners

On Tuesday, Roland Bedwell, the business manager of United Plant and Production Workers Local 175, pleaded guilty to extorting a construction business owner. Bedwell, 57, a Freeport resident, threatened both physical and economic harm against the business owner who, as a result, hired union members and paid wages and employee benefits.

"With references to organized crime and tough guys, Bedwell used his position as a labor union official to threaten business owners into hiring union members and paying them wages and benefits," said Acting United States Attorney Bridget Rohde. "Today’s guilty plea holds Bedwell accountable for his actions and demonstrates the resolve of this Office, and our law enforcement partners, to ensure that businesses are able to make reasonable business decisions without fear of harm."

The extortion to which Bedwell pleaded guilty was partly captured during a recorded meeting between Bedwell and the victim business owner in a restaurant in Queens. According to prosecutors, Bedwell warned the victim that if he did not to employ Local 175 members, Bedwell would use an organization of 15 "ex-military" men, who were undeterred by the prospect of spending time in jail, to interfere with the victim’s business, and that the victim stood to lose a "tremendous amount of money."

Bedwell told the victim, "Either you’re gonna sign the contract . . . or these boys are gonna do it again." Bedwell explained to the victim the financial pain he had inflicted on other contractors: blocking one delivery truck that was transporting trees (causing the trees to die) and stopping another one, loaded with asphalt that, according to Bedwell, caused the shutdown of Long Island Expressway.

In addition, as part of his plea, Bedwell admitted that he attempted to extort another construction business owner. Bedwell and his co-conspirators told the victim that he would not get asphalt delivered to a LaGuardia Airport job site if the victim did not agree to employ Local 175 members. When the victim refused to sign an agreement with Local 175, Bedwell and his co-conspirators proceeded to stop the asphalt-delivery trucks, harass the drivers and slash their tires.

This extortion and attempted extortion were part of a pattern that included Bedwell referring to his ties to a member and then-associate of the Gambino organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra, and to Bedwell’s own reputation as a "muscle man," to intimidate businesses into signing labor contracts with Local 175. Bedwell’s co-conspirators have physically assaulted workers associated with contractors that had not agreed to sign with Local 175. Based on his history of extortions, Bedwell observed in a recorded conversation that he should have gone to "jail immediately," and stated, "I don’t know how I don’t have any felonies against me."

"The subject in this case bragged he should be in prison for his crimes, now that’s exactly where he’s headed," said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William Sweeney. "The subject named-dropped a well-known crime family, and threatened organized crime-like violence to get business owners in line, only to pad his bank account. Meanwhile, his direct victims weren’t the only ones hurt by his illegal tactics: he created important project delays that impacted many New Yorkers. The FBI and our law enforcement partners won’t allow threats and violence to be the norm of doing business in the city."

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