Editor's note: Pietrzyk is 74 years old. A government press release, repeated in an earlier version this story, listed an incorrect age.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A former high-ranking UAW official in the union's General Motors department pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges of conspiracy and fraud.
Jeffery Pietrzyk, who was an assistant to former UAW-GM Department Vice President Joe Ashton, is the 10th person to plead guilty as a result of an ongoing federal probe into misuse of union funds. Six of the 10 are former UAW officials.
Prosecutors said Pietrzyk conspired with other union officials to take bribes and kickbacks related to vendor contracts for watches, backpacks, jackets and other items. The UAW said it has changed its purchasing procedures since the contracts Pietrzyk was involved with were awarded.