A federal grand jury in Louisville on Tuesday indicted the former head of a local Teamsters union for allegedly embezzling union funds and making illegal loans.Thomas Vincent Jr., 53, of Louisville, was president of Teamsters Local 783 from 2006 through 2011, according to a press release issued Tuesday afternoon from U.S. Attorney David Hale's office.Federal prosecutors allege he embezzled more than $17,000 from the local Teamsters and made $23,760 in illegal loans from the union to himself. He also made 13 criminal violations regarding union record keeping, between October 2009 and and June 2011, the U.S. Attorney's office said.Investigators found that Vincent made false entries on credit card receipts, passing them off as business expenses at Louisville restaurants, according to the news release.If convicted, Vincent faces up to 23 years in prison.An officer at Teamsters Local 783 was not immediately available for comment Tuesday afternoon.Local 783's website notes that the International Brotherhood of Teamsters put the local union under trusteeship in April 2012. A supervisor "came in and turned the Local around by putting those cleared of wrongdoing under direct supervision and mentorship, regaining financial stability for the Local" and "eliminating all debt of the Local," among other things, according to the website.
