Former UAW vice president charged in corruption investigation

U.S. prosecutors in Detroit charged a former high-ranking United Auto Workers official in charge of the labor union’s association with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) of misusing funds for lavish purchases for himself and other union authorities.

Norwood Jewell, who headed the UAW’s FCA department from 2014 until his retirement in January last year, was charged with conspiracy to breach labor laws and accepting improper funds in a criminal information – often a precursor to a plea agreement.

Jewell is the highest-ranking former UAW official charged so far in a wide-ranging investigation into illegal payoffs to UAW officials. To date, seven people have been sentenced in the government’s ongoing corruption investigation.

The court document states Jewell used a National Training Center credit card and authorized UAW officials to utilize their credit cars to make over $40,000 in purchases for himself and others.

Prosecutors state FCA officials conspired to divert more than $4.5 million in training center funds intended to pay for training for union members for use by UAW authorities.