The former financial secretary of a western Pennsylvania steelworkers’ union who admitted to embezzling nearly $15,000 in union funds has asked a federal judge for probation instead of prison, pointing to his battle with alcoholism and recent completion of inpatient treatment.
Vincent Wolf, 58, entered a guilty plea in February to one count of embezzling labor union assets, following an October 2024 indictment that accused him of misusing his position to line his pockets over an eight-year span.
A Pattern of Deception—and Redemption
According to federal prosecutors, Wolf exploited his post as financial secretary for United Steel Workers Local 623 in Freedom, Beaver County from 2013 until he was ousted in a 2021 election. A subsequent audit uncovered a pattern of misappropriation: checks written to himself, ATM withdrawals from union accounts, and personal charges—including alcohol and meals—on the union’s debit card.
Wolf’s defense team argues the theft stemmed from a long-running struggle with alcohol abuse, compounded by personal tragedies, including the deaths of his parents and two sisters—one by suicide. His sentencing memo paints a picture of a man who spiraled into addiction, committing financial crimes under the fog of unresolved grief.
