PARAMUS — In March 2008, Richard "Buzzy" Dressel, principal officer of a politically connected arm of the electrical workers union, along with another officer began a "Captive Lunch Program" for the union's apprentice training program.

The lunches, federal authorities say, were aimed at tamping down on alcohol abuse among apprentice electricians taking classes at the union office in Paramus. Just a couple months before, Dressel and John DeBouter, the union president, also established a comprehensive drug and alcohol program for all members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 164 and the apprentice electricians.

But a recently unsealed indictment that charges Dressel and DeBouter with embezzlement alleges the men had a far different reason for starting the lunch program: To award a $60,000-a-year, no-bid contract to Dressel’s then-girlfriend — a caterer who is now his wife — to prepare lunches for 40 electrician apprentices, four days a week.

This afternoon, the men appeared in federal court in Newark after being arrested in the morning. The indictment, handed up Oct. 24, alleges the men defrauded the union and its Joint Apprentice Training Fund out of $350,000 over two years.

It amounts to an ugly knockdown for Dressel and DeBouter — and perhaps the local, which has been a force in Democratic politics in northern New Jersey for years. Dressel is well known for helping run get-out-the-vote drives. And according to filings with Election Law Enforcement Commission, Local 164 has filled the war chests of area campaigns since 1998, with $1.18 million in contributions.

The biggest recipient of the local’s money, records show, was the Bergen County Democratic Organization, which benefited from $277,250 in contributions during the past two decades.

If convicted, both Dressel, 63, of Montvale, and DeBouter, 55, of Oakland, face up to five years in prison on each of eight counts of conspiracy to embezzle and embezzlement.

Both men were released on $150,000 unsecured bonds.

After the hearing, Dressel’s lawyer, Jeffrey Smith, said his client was innocent.

"Buzz Dressel has served the labor movement and the electrical workers union for decades and intends fully to defend himself," Smith said. "We expect that he’ll be found innocent after trial. He did not embezzle any money."

The 20-page indictment, along with a statement by U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman’s office, paint a picture of Dressel and DeBouter of funneling large sums of money to Dressel’s then-girlfriend — including thousands of dollars for work she allegedly never performed.

In the indictment, Dressel’s girlfriend, whom he married in June 2010, is referred to as an "unindicted co-conspirator" and identified as "K.L." According to the document, she ran a catering business called Ship to Shore.

In 2008, at about the time "K.L" got the catering job, Dressel hired her to join Local 164’s office staff. She was paid $1,000 a week and provided with health benefits, a pension and annuity funds. However, according to the indictment, she didn’t perform any work but was paid about $75,554 from March 2008 to January 2009. What’s more, the indictment and authorities say, eight months after she was hired, she was given a raise, to $86,000 a year.

In February 2009, the indictment and authorities say, "K.L." was given the part-time job of managing the union’s office building. But, the indictment alleges, from February 2009 to February 2010, she received about $140,839 in salary and fringe benefits from Local 164, $70,420 of which was for work she never performed.

The indictment also alleges that in 2010, Dressler and DeBouter tried to cover up the anticipated disclosure of "K.L."'s salary to rank-and-file members.

Star-Ledger staff writer Jarrett Renshaw contributed to this report.