The former president of a Vermont labor union that represents federal employees has pleaded guilty to a charge of wire fraud for embezzling approximately $36,000 in union funds to pay for personal expenses, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced last week.
Leticia Russi-Shareno, 60, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Dec. 10, in U.S. District Court in Burlington, Vt.
She was released on conditions pending her sentencing, which is scheduled for May 22, 2025.
Between August 2019 and December 2020, Russi-Shareno was the president of Local 2076 of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), a labor union whose members are employees of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) working in Vermont and upstate New York.
In her role as president of the union, Russi-Shareno had authority over Local 2076’s Vermont bank account and also received a debit card to make official purchases on behalf of the union.
According to a federal indictment filed in November 2024, during her presidency Russi-Shareno embezzled approximately $36,000 by using the unions debit card to make ATM withdrawals for personal expenses.
Prosecutors said that Russi-Shareno also falsified paperwork to obtain duplicate reimbursements for expenses incurred on behalf of Local 2076, and cashed or deposited into her own account several checks that the national AFGE union had issued to Local 2076.
For the charge of wire fraud, the ex-president faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
