Ex-union official pleads guilty in federal corruption probe

DETROIT – A union official who helped negotiate a contract with Fiat Chrysler and was charged with accepting luxuries worth tens of thousands of dollars has pleaded guilty to conspiracy.

Nancy Johnson pleaded guilty Monday to violating the Labor Management Relations Act. Four counts of accepting prohibited money or valuables were dropped. She faces a maximum of 18 months in prison at her scheduled sentencing Nov. 19.

She was the sixth person charged in a scheme to strip millions from a Detroit worker training centre financed by Fiat Chrysler.

Johnson worked for the United Auto Workers and served on the 2015 negotiating committee. The plea agreement says she used a training centre credit card to buy items for herself and other union officials, but most purchases were directed by or benefited others.