Embezzlement: Nurse union chief pleads guilty

Published

former nurses union chief will plead guilty to embezzlement

renkes faces up to 5 years in prison for felony.

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by james halpin, anchorage daily news

the former executive director of an alaska nurses union has agreed to plead guilty to a federal charge of embezzling more than $22,000 from the union to pay his personal bills, according to documents filed in court this week.

thomas renkes is facing up to five years in prison on a felony charge of embezzlement of union funds, according to court documents.

according to a plea agreement with prosecutors, renkes was the executive director of the alaska nurses association between october 2007 and august 2008. the association is a labor union that represents nearly 1,000 nurses at alaska hospitals, including providence alaska medical center and central peninsula general hospital in soldotna.

renkes was a salaried employee of the union, paid by union member dues, the documents say. but prosecutors allege he was also taking money on the side, using a union credit card to go shopping and to buy plane tickets for his family.

in the course of his employment, he racked up more than 80 unauthorized purchases on the card for more than $22,500, prosecutors say.

renkes paid the credit card bills using union checks he fraudulently received by providing false and misleading justifications for the personal expenses, they say. in one case, he paid for a $1,500 personal legal expense and then told the union that the charge was for "ana legal issues with other states," the plea agreement says.

the plea agreement says the parties haven't reached an agreement on the sentence renkes will receive after his plea hearing june 3.

the maximum penalty is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

http://www.adn.com/2010/04/29/1256378/30nurses-union.html

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Only $22,000? Why bother? Boss Rose could teach this amateur a million thing$ or two.

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And to think, Paris Hilton can go through that in just one store in a few minutes, as reported recently.

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.
Only $22,000? Why bother? Boss Rose could teach this amateur a million thing$ or two.

Can you be specific?

Are you accusing someone of criminal activity?

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It's just an observation in general, but our union, by standing up resolutely for the interests of nurses and patients, tends to anger a lot of very rich and powerful interests. Every time we get into a major fight with one of those interests, we see one or more people with brand new registrations show up on this site solely for the purpose of attacking us. Rival unions have done it, major hospital chains, union busters and now politicians. All part of the same pattern.

One of the realities of the online world is that one's statements stay around and the sum total of one's writings creates a record that impacts one's credibility.

People who've been around for a while tend to become discriminating in who they pay attention to.

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So now if one disagrees with or posts less than shining examples of the union, they are union busters, hospital associates or politicians? More of the typical union response seen on allnurses. Those who are anti union couldn't be nurses because all nurses are for unions, Right?

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So now if one disagrees with or posts less than shining examples of the union, they are union busters, hospital associates or politicians? More of the typical union response seen on allnurses. Those who are anti union couldn't be nurses because all nurses are for unions, Right?

You are reading more into what I said than is there. I simply stated an observed fact that every time we get into a fight with a powerful interest, some new people seem to magically show up on this site, newly joined, and begin to attack us. The logical conclusion might be drawn that they joined this site for that specific purpose, and because of who we have angered, but I'll leave it to others whether they wish to draw that conclusion. The single most prominent example was actually a rival union - but that's an old story now.

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Specializes in ICU/CCU/TRAUMA/ECMO/BURN/PACU/.
Only $22,000? Why bother? Boss Rose could teach this amateur a million thing$ or two.

"Why bother?"

You must be a very wealthy, cynical person to ask such a question. If someone took that much money from my brothers and sisters I'd hope there would be a way to help make things right. The union members I know are as much about accountability as they are solidarity, and a transparent, democratic process; not one condones this kind of behavior, whether or not it was driven by addiction, greed, desperation, or an illness.

It looks like our system of justice is working in this case. The accused had his day in court and the right of due process; he pleaded guilty. I hope he will work out a way to make restitution and pay back the money to the union so the members' interests can be better represented.

Just wondering why you trolled into this site to post such old news?

Don't know what to make of your boss rose comment either. Is this who (or what) you're referring to?

Former hospital boss Rose...

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:dncgbby::dncgbby:

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