Embezzlement trial for former USW officers begins

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Updated: March 1, 2012 9:47AM

Embezzlement trial for two former USW officers begins

Monday marked the beginning of the criminal trial of two former United Steelworkers Local 1011 officers accused of embezzling more than $40,000 from the East Chicago union.

The trial of Jesse Lee Daniels Sr., of Chicago, and Loren Hanson, of New Mexico, is taking place at the U.S. District Court in South Bend.

Daniels, who served as secretary for the ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor union, was charged a year ago with one count of embezzlement from a union. The indictment claims he was supposed to make $500 a month but instead paid himself $1,000 a month from 2005 to 2008. Hanson was charged two months later, and that indictment claimed he, too, padded his salary by an extra $21,450 during that time frame. Daniels is accused of taking an extra $19,500.

The trial is expected to last three to four days.

Teresa Auch Schultz