GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — One Muskegon man has been sentenced to 14 months in federal prison after embezzling the Michigan Union of Healthcare Workers’ (MUHW) funds.
Authorities report that United States District Court Judge Paul L. Maloney sentenced Hasan Zahdeh and ordered him to pay $140,498.03 in restitution to MUHW and serve 3 years of supervised release after serving his sentence.
Court documents show Zahdeh embezzled union funds via the MUHW’s debit card and use union checks to pay for personal expenses including travel, utility bills, home maintenance, and communication bills between May 2017 to around November 2020.
In April 2021 Zahdeh entered a plea deal admitting he falsified union records, wrote four checks to MUHW’s attorney, forged the attorneys signature on the back of each check and then deposited each one into his personal bank account, deposited MUHW dues to his personal bank accounts, directed his child to deposit MUHW dues checks into his account and wire him the funds; opened a personal bank account, misrepresented it to MUHW members as a bank account held by MUHW, and then directed MUHW members to direct deposit their dues into this account; and used the MUHW funds he embezzled for personal expenses not authorized by MUHW the Department of Justice reports.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge commented that “When union officers such as Hasan Zahdeh abuse their authority and line their own pockets, my office will pursue justice, including restitution where appropriate.”
