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John Doughtery Trial: Closing arguments underway
Former Philadelphia labor leader Johnny "Doc" Dougherty and a former union president, have appeared in federal court to hear prosecutors allege the two stole more than $600,000 from the electrical workers union..
PHILADELPHIA - Former Philadelphia labor leader Johnny "Doc" Dougherty and a former union president, have appeared in federal court to hear prosecutors allege the two stole more than $600,000 from the electrical workers union.
On Monday, Prosecutor Frank Costello told jurors that Dougherty and fellow defendant, Brian Burrows, "violated their oath to the union, it was a license to steal, they violated the law."
Dougherty and Burrows are charged with embezzlement and related offenses of union funds when they led the 5,000 member, politically powerful union.
The feds alleged the pair charged home repairs, pricey meals, concert tickets and even baby wipes to union contracts.
Costello argued, "he (Dougherty) wasn’t too busy doing important union work; he was too busy stealing from his members."
In the 15th floor courtroom, defense attorney Greg Pagano argued Dougherty had no criminal intent, telling jurors they must decide if "this good man, John Dougherty, who built the union from nothing, had criminal intent."
Pagano attacked the government’s chief accuser, contractor Anthony Massa, who testified he did work at the pair's private homes and charged the union as a liar who misled Dougherty.
John Dougherty, known as Johnny Doc, already convicted of corruption, faces time in federal prison.
He joked with supporters during breaks as his attorney argued, "he (Dougherty) didn’t know what was being billed, where it was going. He did the best he could."
After a lengthy presentation from prosecutors Monday, a jury will begin deliberations on Tuesday.