Former SPFPA Local 576 Financial Secretary Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement
- Eyes on SPFPA
- Mar 10
- 3 min read
Security Employees Secretary SPFPA Local 576 in Georgia Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement
On July 31, Dianne Drawdy, former financial secretary of Security, Police and Fire Professionals Local 576 in Baxley, Georgia, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia to embezzling union funds in the amount of $17,900. She had been charged in April following an investigation by the U.S. Labor Department’s Office of Labor-Management Standards.
Georgia, SPFPA Local 576 Security Police and Fire Professionals Financial Secretary Sentenced
On December 1, Dianne Drawdy, former financial secretary of Security Police Fire Professionals of America Local 576, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia to six months imprisonment and three years of supervised release for embezzlement of $17,900 from the Baxley-based union. She also will have to pay $18,818.74 in restitution. Drawdy pled guilty in July. The sentencing follows a probe by the U.S. Labor Department’s Office of Labor-Management Standards.
Embezzlement is the fraudulent misappropriation of funds or property by someone entrusted to manage them, exploiting a position of trust for personal gain.
Definition and Key Characteristics
Embezzlement occurs when an individual who has lawful access to money or property diverts it for personal use, breaching the trust placed in them. Unlike theft or burglary, the perpetrator initially has permission to handle the assets, making the crime a violation of fiduciary duty rather than simple trespassory taking. Common examples include a company accountant transferring corporate funds to a personal account, a financial advisor misusing client investments, or a treasurer siphoning donations from a nonprofit.
Legal Elements
To convict someone of embezzlement, prosecutors generally must establish four elements:
Fiduciary or trust relationship – the defendant had responsibility over the victim’s assets.
Lawful possession – the individual had legitimate access to the property.
Fraudulent appropriation – the assets were secretly converted for unauthorized use.
Intent to deprive – the perpetrator intended to benefit personally or cause loss to the rightful owner.
Differences from Other Crimes
Embezzlement differs from theft and fraud in keyways:
Theft involves taking property without permission.
Fraud often involves misrepresentation to gain assets.
Embezzlement involves misappropriation by someone with lawful access, making detection more challenging.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Florida couple pled guilty today to conspiracy to provide and receive prohibited labor payments, in violation of the Labor Management Relations Act, also known as the Taft-Hartley Act.
According to court documents, since at least 2010 until November 2023, Ricky Dallas O’Quinn, 63, of Melbourne, Florida, served as both an officer and employee of International Union, Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA), a labor organization that represents protective security officers at federal workplaces. SPFPA executed collective bargaining agreements with several employers covering the security industry in several states. Ricky’s wife, Mabel O’Quinn, was the founder, incorporator, and an initial director of Company-2, which provided protective security officers at federal workplaces in numerous states. While Mabel served as Company-2’s chief executive officer and president, Ricky was involved in the finance, budget, and operations of the company since its inception in a clandestine role. Both Ricky and Mabel O’Quinn hid Ricky’s involvement in operating Company-2.
Read more about this story: Former SPFPA VP @ Large Rick O'Quinn & His Wife Plead Guilty in a Scheme to Provide & Receive Prohibited Labor Payments
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