Former Cedar Rapids union president sentenced to 8 months for bank fraud

CEDAR RAPIDS — A former local labor union president who embezzled $30,000 from his organization was sentenced last week to eight months in federal prison.

Brock A. Willson, who court documents say is also known as Brock A. Cligrow, former president of Roofers Local 182 in Cedar Rapids, was convicted of one count of bank fraud. He had been indicted last year on 10 charges of fraud and embezzlement.

Willson, 43, served in various union positions, including president, business manager/financial secretary and coordinator of an apprenticeship training committee from about March 2020 through October 2021, according to court documents.

The labor union covers 18 counties in Iowa and Wisconsin, including Benton, Black Hawk, Iowa, Johnson, Jones and Linn, according to the indictment. He was a full-time employee of the union and had full access to three bank accounts and was a signatory on all three.

Willson had access to the accounts because of his “high level” positions within the union, according to court documents. The labor organization entrusted Willson with making authorized payments for certain expenses, including for its training committee.

According to the plea agreement, Willson used the union funds for his own expenses, including payments on a vehicle loan and purchases at department stores. Willson admitted stealing at least $6,500 in union funds.

The indictment included 10 payments for personal expenses.

Willson ultimately agreed to pay over $30,000 in misspent union funds, prosecutors said.

He has a criminal history, including a felony conviction for serious injury by vehicle and reckless driving, according to sentencing information. While on pretrial release, federal probation officers found a firearm and ammunition in the home where he was living.

He was in jail for over a month because of that incident in late 2023.

“While the vast majority of union officials do their work diligently and without incident, unfortunately criminal violations do occur,” Christine Abendroth, district director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards, said in the statement. “When they do, it is the union and its members that are the victims. OLMS is committed to hold accountable anyone who unlawfully exploits their position for financial gain at the expense of their fellow union members.”

U.S. Attorney Timothy Duax, in a statement, said the office appreciated the Labor Department’s work in the case.

“Willson took advantage of the people he was supposed to serve,” Duax said. “There is a price to be paid for such conduct, and Mr. Willson will pay that price while in prison.”

U.S. District Judge C.J. Williams also sentenced Willson to serve five years of supervised release following his prison term and ordered him to pay $30,281 in restitution to the labor union and its insurer.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Vavricek and investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards with the assistance of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Police Department.

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