Postal Union Leader Charged With Embezzlement

A former San Mateo postal union leader has been ordered to prison for embezzlement.

Graham Vane was the president of the San Mateo branch of the National Association of Letter Carriers from 2002 until 2006. Prosecutors say during that time he ran up $150,000 in credit card expenses for family travel, massages, jewelry, dental work, groceries and his wife's cellphone bills which he claimed were all "union-related expenses".

The U. S. Labor Department discovered the fraudulent records during a routine annual audit. Last January, Vane pleaded guilty to using union funds for personal use. A U.S. District Court judge sentenced him to 15-months in prison.