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12th person charged in federal corruption investigation in United Automobile Workers' union

Posted at 1:24 PM, Oct 31, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-31 14:24:47-04

A 12th person has been charged in an ongoing corruption investigation into the United Automobile Workers' union.

Edward "Nick" Robinson, 72, has been charge with conspiracy to embezzle union funds and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Robinson, who is from St. Louis, was the president of the UAW Midwest Community Action Program (CAP). The CAPs are funded through "per-capita" tax payments from member dues, according to federal prosecutors.

According to the felony complaint, Robinson and six other other UAW officials "were involved in a multifaceted scheme to embezzle funds from the UAW." One of those six was identified as Vance Pearson, who has already been charged.

The complaint said that all seven embezzled more than $1.5 million. It's also alleged that Robinson made "significant purchases of high-end liquor, cigars, wine, golf apparel, golf clubs, and other lavish expenses at the direction of and for senior UAW officials."

The allegations against Robinson are similar to Pearson's charges.

Robinson is the 12th person charged in the probe.

According to his biography on the UAW Labor Employment and Training Corporation, Robinson has been a UAW member for more than 40 years, and he was an international representative for the UAW International Union's Political Department for more than 15 years.

You can read the felony complaint below.

Edward Robinson Felony Complaint by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit on Scribd

This story was originally published by WXYZ in Detroit.