Illinois Democrat State Senator Tom Cullerton on Friday was indicted on federal embezzlement charges for allegedly defrauding a union.

The US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois announced the charges on Friday.

Cullerton, a Democrat, was accused of taking approximately $275,000 in salary and benefits from the Teamsters Union, but doing no work for the union.

The state senator took the union job before he was elected in 2012 and continued to collect money for three years without doing any work, according to the 39-count indictment.

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ABC 7 Chicago reported:

Federal prosecutors allege that Cullerton used the proceeds from the alleged scheme to pay personal expenses, including his mortgage, utilities and groceries. “All I can say is that, of course, I’m very disappointed, I am disappointed in any public official that isn’t living up to the obligation that they have to the voters that sent them there, and to the people that they represent,” said Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The state senator was one of the most vocal lawmakers during the Quincy Veterans’ home legionnaire’s crisis. Federal officials allege that for three years, starting in the spring of 2013, Cullerton conspired with Individual A, identified as the president of Teamsters Joint Council 25, to be a union organizer. But the indictment alleges Cullerton, who previously had worked for Teamsters Local 734, did virtually no work, and ignored repeated requests by union representatives to do his job. Federal prosecutors allege that Cullerton used the proceeds from the alleged scheme to pay personal expenses, including his mortgage, utilities and groceries. “All I can say is that, of course, I’m very disappointed, I am disappointed in any public official that isn’t living up to the obligation that they have to the voters that sent them there, and to the people that they represent,” said Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The state senator was one of the most vocal lawmakers during the Quincy Veterans’ home legionnaire’s crisis. Federal officials allege that for three years, starting in the spring of 2013, Cullerton conspired with Individual A, identified as the president of Teamsters Joint Council 25, to be a union organizer. But the indictment alleges Cullerton, who previously had worked for Teamsters Local 734, did virtually no work, and ignored repeated requests by union representatives to do his job.

Cullerton’s lawyer, John Theis released a statement calling the allegations “false claims by disgraced Teamsters boss John Coli in an apparent attempt to avoid penalties for his wrongdoing.”

“These allegations are simply not true, and we will be defending the charges in court,” Cullerton’s lawyer added.