The former president of a local union suspected of diluting funds from the chapter’s bank account has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies.
Eric Simon, 37, the former president of the local chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, is charged with one count of embezzlement over $2,500 and 53 counts of forgery. The embezzlement charge is a third-degree felony while the forgery charges are fourth-degree felony counts.
Las Cruces Police detectives learned that in September 2014 the treasurer of the local AFSCME chapter received a call from Citizens Bank notifying her that the chapter’s bank account was overdrawn. The treasurer met with Simon who indicated that he had written several of the union chapter checks for his own personal use.
LCPD detectives ultimately learned that Simon cashed 53 checks totaling $17,107.24. The AFSCME bank account requires two signatures on each check leaning detectives to believe that Simon forged the name of the chapter’s vice president in order to cash the checks.
Simon is believed to have cashed the checks between Dec. 9, 2013, and Aug. 22, 2014.
The AFSCME chapter has since removed Simon as its president.
Simon was arrested Thursday afternoon, Dec. 11, at the J. Paul Taylor Center where he’s employed as a youth care specialist. Simon was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center with a cash-only bond set at $25,000.
Information from Las Cruces Police