The person trusted to safeguard a Bradenton postal workers union’s money for more than a decade could spend years in prison after prosecutors said she siphoned more than $100,000 for herself.
Prosecutors say Kathleen Rita Kaplan, 53, exploited her role as secretary treasurer of the American Postal Workers Union’s Bradenton local by funneling union money into her own accounts through forged checks and unauthorized Zelle transfers.
According to court records, Kaplan pleaded no contest Sept. 15 to two first-degree felonies: grand theft and fraudulent use of personal identification information. Circuit Judge Matt Whyte accepted the plea and set her sentencing for Nov. 24. The records show the plea resolved a case that initially included more than 100 felony counts when it was filed last year.
An attorney representing Kaplan did not immediately respond to the Bradenton Herald’s request for comment.
