Former Hawkeye Labor Council head arrested on federal fraud charges

CEDAR RAPIDS - A former executive director of the Hawkeye Labor Council was charged in federal court last week for forging $24,800 in checks on the council's account and more than $6,500 on another person's credit account.

Alan Bernard, 56, formerly of Cedar Rapids, was charged Friday in federal court in Minneapolis, Minn., where he was arrested, with one count of access device fraud and 36 counts of used of forged securities, according to the indictment. He was released on bond.

Bernard's initial appearance and arraignment will be 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids.

Bernard used the credit of another person to purchase items from July 2006 to July 2007 totaling $6,511, according to the indictment. It also alleges he used forged checks totaling $24,869 from the council's account on 36 occasions during the same time period.

The checks were drawn from the council's account at Farmer's State Bank in Marion, according to the indictment. The 36 checks ranged in amounts from $300 to more than $1,000.

If convicted, Bernard faces up to 375 years in prison and a $9 million fine.

The Hawkeye Labor Council is a coalition of 39 unions in Linn and six other counties. Bernard is also the former director of stadium operations and sales for the Kernels baseball team.

Bernard Presser