Federal prosecutors have decided to drop the extortion case against John Dougherty, the former union boss who was recently sentenced to prison for embezzlement and bribery charges. The extortion case had previously ended in a mistrial earlier this year.
Dougherty’s nephew, who was his co-defendant in the extortion trial, will now face a retrial on his own, as announced by prosecutors on Thursday.
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At 64 years old, Dougherty is set to report to federal prison in the coming weeks to commence his six-year sentence. The former business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98 was indicted in 2019 following an extensive investigation into his use of influence in city politics, targeting rivals, and misusing union funds.
Documents filed by the Philadelphia U.S. Attorney’s Office on Thursday requested the dismissal of charges against Dougherty “in the interests of justice” now that he has been sentenced in other cases. Prosecutors did not provide a reason for dropping charges against Dougherty exclusively.
In the extortion case, Dougherty and his nephew, Greg Fiocca, were charged in relation to a payment dispute with a contractor during the construction of Live! Casino in South Philadelphia.
Fiocca allegedly resorted to threats and violence towards the contractor, claiming he had not been fully compensated for his work. The contractor reported that Fiocca, 31, had been absent from work, and the paycheck he received accurately reflected his hours. Fiocca allegedly assaulted the contractor by grabbing his throat and throwing him onto a desk.
Prosecutors detailed that Dougherty later intervened on behalf of his nephew, threatening to withdraw all Local 98 workers from the project. Dougherty was also accused of using his influence to obstruct the contractor from securing future work.
The trial in Reading spanned six days and featured testimony from multiple witnesses but ended in a mistrial due to a deadlocked jury.
Dougherty was previously convicted of bribery in 2021, where he was found guilty of purchasing the loyalty of former City Councilmember Bobby Henon in exchange for various perks. In a separate embezzlement case, he was found guilty of misappropriating over $600,000 from Local 98 funds for personal expenses.
During his sentencing in Reading last month, prosecutors sought a prison term of 11 to 14 years, while Dougherty’s attorney sought leniency before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl.
Along with his prison sentence, Dougherty is required to pay substantial fines, including restitution, serve supervised release and complete community service upon his release.