DETROIT – A former president of the United Auto Employees who took half in a scheme together with different union officers that embezzled at the very least $1.5 million in member funds for lavish trips, golfing, alcohol and different luxuries was sentenced Tuesday to 21 months in jail.

Dennis Williams is the highest-ranking union official to be sentenced as a part of a multiyear corruption probe into the outstanding American union. He’s one among 15 folks to have been charged, together with three Fiat Chrysler executives and his successor who’s awaiting sentencing.

Williams pleaded guilty in September to conspiring with different union officers to embezzle a whole lot of 1000’s of {dollars} as a part of a plea take care of federal prosecutors. Below phrases of the settlement, Williams’ sentence can be between 18 months and 24 months.

Federal prosecutors really useful the utmost sentencing tips for Williams, who led the union from 2014 to 2018. In court docket paperwork, they described Williams as being intricately concerned with the unlawful actions and residing a “double life.”

“Dennis Williams tried to dwell two lives. On the one hand, at public occasions, he excoriated the issues that had been ‘improper in america of America’ as a result of union members ‘can’t purchase the issues they construct,'” assistant U.S. attorneys wrote final week in a sentencing memo. “However in personal, he exploited the a whole lot of 1000’s of UAW members that he led.”

In a separate memo, Williams’ attorneys argued he mustn’t spend multiple 12 months and a day in federal jail. They touted him as a “devoted household man” and Marine veteran who made “errors.”

“Mr. Williams’ life – till his conviction – was an ideal American success story,” they wrote. The attorneys blamed his successor, Gary Jones, a regional director underneath Williams, for a lot of the maleficence.

Relations in addition to others, together with actor Danny Glover, submitted letters to the court docket in assist of Williams. Glover, in a letter, mentioned he “labored carefully” with Williams for six years when the UAW was making an attempt to arrange employees at Nissan Motor in Mississippi.

Jail sentences for these concerned charged as a part of the federal probe have ranged from 60 days to five½ years. Ex-Fiat Chrysler govt Alphons Iacobelli, who led the corporate’s labor relations, obtained the lengthiest sentence, nonetheless it was lately decreased to 4 years from 5½ years.

In December, the UAW and federal prosecutors agreed to end the corruption probe into the union underneath a civil settlement that included an impartial monitor overseeing the group for six years.

Different necessities underneath the deal embrace the union conducting a memberwide vote to probably reform its voting course of and making sure repayments, together with a $1.5 million cost to the Inside Income Service. The UAW has already paid again about $15 million to coaching facilities for improper chargebacks uncovered by officers.