Irvington Woman To Serve 6 Years for Embezzlement, Tax Fraud

Melissa King, 60, of Irvington was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to six years in prison for embezzling millions of dollars from the employee benefit plans she administered, Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced Thursday. 

King administered benefits plans on behalf of: the Compressed Air and Free Air Foundations, Tunnels, Caissons, Subways, Cofferdams, Sewer Construction Workers Local 147 of New York, New Jersey States and Vicinity AFL-CIO (“Local 147” or “Sandhogs Union”).

She was also sentenced for filing false personal income tax returns that understated her personal income by millions of dollars, Bharara's statement said. 

According to a New York Times Article from 2010, when King was charged with the crimes:

Ms. King, 58, was charged last month with embezzling $42 million from the union’s employee benefit funds over seven years. Prosecutors said much of it was lavished on her personal life: more than $3 million in equestrian-related expenses, $7.3 million for American Express bills, $713,500 at a Southern California jewelry store and more than $300,000 at Neiman Marcus.

King pled guilty in October, 2011. 

She was sentenced by United States District Judge John G. Koeltl. 

Read the full New York Times article here