Two more members of the Northeast-based Ironworkers Local 401 today pleaded guilty to their roles in incidents that caused destruction at construction sites. So far, eight men have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from federal investigations of schemes to intimidate employers who didn’t hire union workers.
Daniel Hennigar, 54, pleaded guilty to maliciously damaging property by means of fire. James Zinn, 28, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion which interferes with interstate commerce.
On Dec. 20, 2012, Hennigar drove two other ironworkers, James Walsh and William Gillin, to a Quaker Meetinghouse under construction in Chestnut Hill. Walsh and Gillin used an acetylene torch and gasoline to cause significant damage to the construction site in retaliation for the contractor’s failure to hire union ironworkers.
Zinn admitted to his role in a series of incidents during which members of the union damaged non-union construction sites in an attempt to force non-union contractors to hire union ironworkers. Those incidents included $25,000 in damage to the Wallingford Elementary School construction site in Delaware County and $25,000 in damage at a Merion East Golf Course in Ardmore.
On Tuesday, Edward Sweeney, 53, pleaded guilty to corrupt organization conspiracy, maliciously damaging property by means of fire, use of fire to commit a felony, maliciously damaging property by means of fire, conspiracy to maliciously damage property by means of fire and attempted maliciously damaging property by means of fire. Sweeney admitted that he participated in 10 incidents of extortion or attempted extortion. Sweeney further admitted his involvement in the Quaker Meetinghouse arson, an arson on a warehouse on Grays Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia and the attempted arson of a construction site in Malvern, as well as other episodes, all of which were in retaliation for the contractors’ failure to hire union ironworkers.
Shawn Bailey, 34, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act Extortion for his participation in an extortion of a nonunion contractor working on the warehouse on Grays Avenue.
James Walsh, 49, pleaded guilty last week to a corrupt organization conspiracy, two counts of maliciously damaging property by means of fire, conspiracy to maliciously damage property by means of fire, two counts of use of fire to commit a felony, and attempted maliciously damaging property by means of fire.
Specifically, Walsh admitted that he participated in the Quaker Meetinghouse arson, the arson on Grays Avenue and the attempted arson in Malvern as well as other episodes — all in retaliation for the contractors’ failure to hire union ironworkers.
Greg Sullivan, 49, pleaded guilty last week to conspiracy to maliciously damage property by means of fire, and Hobbs Act Extortion. He participated in the Grays Avenue arson and the attempted arson in Malvern.
Also last week, Francis Sean O’Donnell and William Gillin leaded guilty to conspiracy, arson and related charges. According to the U.S. Attorney, O’Donnell, 43, of Warminster, acted as a business agent for the Ironworkers Local 401 and participated in more than 10 extortions or attempted extortions with the intent to force nonunion contractors to hire union labor. O’Donnell recruited other members of the Ironworkers Local 401, whom he called his “Shadow Gang,” to assist him in these crimes. If a contractor refused to hire union labor, O’Donnell and the “Shadow Gang” typically would enter a nonunion construction site at night, use sledgehammers to destroy anchor bolts, and cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage.
Gillin, 43, participated in a series of incidents on behalf of the Ironworkers Local 401 as part of the plan by the defendants to force nonunion contractors to hire union labor, the U.S. Attorney said. ••
