Union Ex-President Arrested on Theft and Wire Fraud Charges

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kye Carbone, 68, of Athens, New York, was arrested on October 17, 2025, on an indictment charging him with 30 counts of wire fraud and theft from a labor union.  Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement.

Between 2003 and 2023, Carbone served as the president of United Federation of College Teachers Local 1460, the union representing faculty members at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.  As alleged in the indictment, Carbone stole over $290,000 from the Local between 2011 and 2023, when he was voted out of office.  Carbone used the money for his personal expenses, restaurants and travel, and buying and renovating a property in Athens.

Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III said: “As alleged, Carbone embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from the union he claimed to serve and used the money to fund his lifestyle and buy a home in the Hudson Valley. Upstate New York is a wonderful place to live.  But if you steal money from a union, your next home will be a federal prison.”

Special Agent-in-Charge Mellone said: “An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving labor unions.  We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of fraudulent activity and protect the American worker.”

Carbone is charged with three counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and 27 counts of embezzlement from a labor union, in violation of 29 U.S.C. § 501(c).  The wire fraud charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine per count, as well as up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release.  The embezzlement charges carry a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000 per count, as well as up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

Carbone was arraigned on October 17 in Albany, New York, before United States Magistrate Judge Paul J. Evangelista, and pled not guilty.  He was released pending trial.  The charges in the indictment are merely accusations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Walter is prosecuting the case.

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