Ex-UAW President Gary Jones sentenced to 28 months in federal prison

DETROIT — Ex-UAW President Gary Jones was sentenced Thursday to 28 months in federal prison for stealing millions from car workers to live a lavish way of living of golfing, cigars and wonderful liquor.

Jones, 63, is the second consecutive union chief to be set driving bars, subsequent his predecessor, Dennis Williams, who previous month was sentenced to 21 months in prison.

Jones was sentenced in human being prior to U.S. District Judge Paul Borman just above a calendar year soon after he pleaded guilty. His hearing was delayed many periods by the coronavirus pandemic.

“I let my family members down, and I let my union down,” Jones reported, choking up in court. “I pray each day that no damage arrives to the UAW and they’re able to be more powerful and arranged mainly because of it.”

Jones’ authentic sentencing guideline was forty six to 57 months. Prosecutors had known as for a 28 month sentence and for him to pay back again or forfeit a total of just about $750,000 for what they labeled as “bare ambition” that enriched a number of while hurting the customers he swore to combat for. They questioned for the diminished sentence, on the other hand, mainly because Jones’ cooperation assisted safe more convictions, which include Williams’.

“Gary Jones in numerous techniques is a very good guy,” prosecutor David Gardey reported Thursday, noting his “broken and contrite heart” that showed as a result of in their conversations. “He was a very good guy who identified himself in and worked in a society of corruption, which was the management of the United Car Employees union.”

Following the sentence, Jones fist bumped his attorney and prosecutors, according to a pool report, and hugged and kissed his spouse, who accompanied him in the courtroom.

The UAW, in a assertion, reported Jones’ sentencing “delivers to a shut a really dark chapter in UAW historical past.”

“Jones evidently set his own and self-fascination previously mentioned that of the customers of his Union and has been stripped of his membership in the UAW,” the assertion reported.

“These significant crimes violated his oath of UAW officers and they violated the have faith in of UAW officers billed with dealing with our members’ sacred dues revenue as very well as neighborhood motion resources.”

Regardless of the diminished sentence, Jones is established to invest the second-longest time driving bars of anyone so much in the corruption scandal. His 28 months trails only Joe Ashton, the previous negotiator and Typical Motors board member who was sentenced to 30 months in prison in late 2020.

Williams, who blamed Jones during his sentencing previous month, will serve 7 much less months than his successor.

“The point that two previous intercontinental UAW Presidents will be going to prison soon after becoming convicted of embezzling UAW dues revenue demonstrates that no a single is previously mentioned the law,” acting United States Attorney Saima S. Mohsin reported in a assertion. “The working gentlemen and gals of the UAW can truly feel that justice was finished, and that their union is on the highway to reform.”