CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A former Corpus Christi union president will spend nearly two years in federal prison for stealing more than $280,000 from his organization through hundreds of unauthorized purchases.
Cirilo served as president of the United Steelworkers Local 13-1647 in Corpus Christi when he committed the crimes between June 2021 and January 2024. He used union debit cards to make approximately 430 unauthorized personal purchases and concealed the transactions by lying to union members.
Robert Cirilo, 42, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for wire fraud and embezzlement from a labor organization, U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos also ordered Cirilo to pay more than $280,000 in restitution.
"He acknowledged the embezzlement totaled more than $280,000," according to court documents.
Cirilo pleaded guilty on April 28, 2025. He was permitted to remain on bond and will voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI and Department of Labor's Office of Labor Management Standards conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Foster and John Marck prosecuted the case.
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