Former UAW President Gary Jones Sentenced To 28 Months In Prison

DETROIT — Former United Auto Workers President Gary Jones will serve 28 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to bilking funds from the union.

Jones, 64, was sentenced Thursday morning by United States District Judge Paul Borman. In addition to time behind bars, Jones will be required to pay restitution in the amount of $550,000 to the UAW, $42,000 to the IRS and will forfeit more than $151,000, The Detroit News reported.

"I failed them. I failed the UAW," Jones said during his sentencing hearing, according to The Detroit News. "I let my union down."

Related: Former UAW Leader Gary Jones Pleads Guilty

Jones pleaded guilty to several charges in June 2020. At the time, Jones was the highest-ranking union official to admit wrongdoing in a federal investigation involving more than a dozen union officials, The New York Times reported.

Federal prosecutors in March 2020 charged the former UAW president with corruption, alleging he conspired with others at the union to embezzle more than $1 million, according to The Associated Press.

Jones' sentencing comes a month after another former UAW president was sentenced to time behind bars after admitting to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the organization.

Related: Former UAW President Sentenced To 21 Months In Federal Prison

Dennis Williams was sentenced in May to 21 months in federal prison. He also was ordered to pay $132,000 in restitution and a $10,000 fine.

Officials said Jones, Williams and other UAW officials submitted fraudulent expense forms seeking reimbursement from the UAW's Detroit headquarters for expenditures incurred in connection with UAW leadership and training conferences.

In truth, authorities said, Jones and his co-conspirators used the conferences to conceal the hundreds of thousands of dollars in UAW funds spent on lavish entertainment and personal spending for the conspirators.