A longtime union leader is facing federal charges after investigators say he embezzled nearly $300,000 from college faculty members over more than a decade.
Kye Carbone, 68, was arrested in Albany on October 17 following a grand jury indictment charging him with 30 counts of theft and wire fraud. He pled not guilty and was released pending trial.
Carbone led United Federation of College Teachers Local 1460 from 2003 to 2023. The union represents faculty at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. According to prosecutors, Carbone used union funds from 2011 through 2023 to pay for personal expenses, restaurant tabs, travel, and renovations on a property he bought in Athens, New York.
Acting U.S. Attorney John Sarcone said Carbone “embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from the union he claimed to serve” and warned that “if you steal money from a union, your next home will be a federal prison.”
The indictment charges Carbone with three counts of wire fraud and 27 counts of embezzlement from a labor union. The wire fraud charges carry up to 20 years in prison each. The embezzlement charges carry up to 5 years per count. He also faces thousands in fines and potential supervised release.
The investigation was led by the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Walter is prosecuting the case.
The charges are accusations. Carbone is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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