Rail union embezzlement in Kansas City has now culminated in a guilty plea from a former recording financial secretary for a Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen local, as reported by Trains.  Prosecutors say the case revolves around union funds that were diverted from the local’s account for personal use.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Rail union embezzlement in Kansas City: guilty plea

Details of the rail union embezzlement in Kansas City

A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri identifies the defendant as David L. Scofield, 65, of Independence, Mo., a former rail union official who served as recording financial secretary of Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen Local Lodge 21 in Kansas City, Mo.  On Tuesday, Nov. 25, he appeared before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough and entered a guilty plea.

Don’t miss…Illinois intercity rail transit reshapes funding and service

In court, Scofield admitted to four counts of bank fraud, one count of embezzlement theft of labor union funds, and one count of falsification of a union’s annual financial report. Local media coverage, including a report from KCTV5, has also highlighted his guilty plea.  Prosecutors say the charges arise from his use of a Local Lodge 21 bank account that he could access through his union position.

Bank fraud and potential sentence

According to prosecutors, Scofield used that Local Lodge 21 account to carry out $54,412.67 in personal transactions — paying loans, credit cards and his PayPal account — an amount that matches what he admitted taking for himself.

He is required to repay the full $54,412.67 and faces a sentence of up to 30 years in prison without parole. His sentencing hearing in the rail union embezzlement in Kansas City case is scheduled for March 31, 2026.

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed:

Don’t miss…GoUpSafely powerline safety system for Australian workers

Find the latest news of the railway industry in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and the rest of the world on our page on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, read Railway Supply magazine online.

Place your ads on webportal and in Railway Supply magazine. Detailed information is in Railway Supply media kit