A former president of the Alton chapter of the AFSCME labor union is headed to federal prison.
The U.S. attorney's office reports 36-year-old Byron Clemons, Sr. of Alton received an 18 month sentence after pleading guilty to embezzling more than 200-thousand dollars from the organization and using the funds for personal expenses.
He was also ordered to pay $202,100 in restitution.
In rejecting Clemons' request for probation, the sentencing judge said she hopes to send a message about individuals who steal from non-profits will be held accountable.
Clemons was the president of AFSCME’s Local 124 in Alton from June 2017 through January 2022.
According to court documents, Clemons withdrew a total of $202,100 from the Local 124’s U.S. Bank account from February 2021 to January 2022. He used the funds to gamble at casinos and pay personal expenses.
