Jackson County union official ordered to repay embezzled money

Continuing a dubious trend, the former president of the union that represents Jackson County corrections employees has been sentenced for embezzling money from the union.

Lowell Wreh assumed the presidency of the union after his predecessor was accused of doing the same thing on a larger scale.

Wreh, 46, of Raytown, was sentenced Thursday in federal court in Kansas City to five years of probation. He was also ordered to pay $7,642 in restitution.

In 2012, he became acting president of Local 1707 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1707 after the former president, Jesse E. Morgan, was accused of embezzlement.

Wreh was later elected president and served until April 2014 when he too was accused of embezzlement.

In January, Wreh pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and admitted that he had issued $7,642 in checks from the union bank account to himself and others from January 2013 through February 2014.

Morgan, president of the union from November 2008 through October 2012, admitted to stealing $138,000 from the union during his tenure.

He was sentenced last year to one year and nine months in federal prison and ordered to repay the $138,000.

This story was originally published September 16, 2016 at 8:16 AM with the headline "Jackson County union official ordered to repay embezzled money."