NYC union big tied to mafia sentenced to five years

NYC union big tied to mafia sentenced to five years

  May 20, 2018    Dapper_Don

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A union official was sentenced to five years in federal prison Friday for using his mob ties to threaten businesses into hiring his members.

Roland Bedwell, business manager for United Plant and Production Workers Local 175, pleaded guilty in August to threatening the owner of a construction business.

The feds recorded Bedwell telling his victim that if he did not employ Local 175 members, he would use a crew of 15 "ex-military" men, unafraid to go to prison, to interfere with business in a way that would cost a lot of money.

"Honestly, whatever they do or don't do — pretty much up to them...either you're gonna sign the contract...or these boys are gonna do it again," Bedwell said on a recording.

In another case, Bedwell and his cohorts threatened another construction business by slashing the tires and threatening the drivers delivering asphalt to a job at LaGuardia Airport.

The construction company owner was told if he didn't hire Local 175 workers, the asphalt would not be delivered to the work site, the feds said.

Bedwell's victims were not publicly identified.

Bedwell said in a written statement read by his lawyer Edward Sapone in court on Friday that he takes "full responsibility" for what he did and thanked the judge for changing his life at 58 years old.

Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Nicholas Garaufis was troubled by Bedwell's Gambino family connections.

"Mr. Bedwell used his position to intimidate, threaten, and extort law abiding citizens for the benefit of his employer and for his own benefit," Garaufis said.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/mob-tied-union-big-years-extorting-n-y-businesses-article-1.3997509