April 26, 2024
Thom Carroll/For PhillyVoice
John Dougherty, above in 2016, faced extortion charges in his third federal trial since 2021. The judge declared a mistrial after jury members said they were deadlocked. In his previous two trials, he was convicted of conspiracy and embezzlement charges.
Former union leader John Dougherty's third federal trial ended Thursday with a deadlocked jury, according to multiple media reports.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Schmehl declared a mistrial after the jury could not reach a verdict on the 19 counts against Dougherty and his nephew, Greg Fiocca. They were charged with conspiracy and extortion after they allegedly threatened a contractor amid a dispute about Fiocca's job performance and pay during the construction of the Live! Casino and Hotel Philadelphia in August 2020.
The six-day trial took place in Reading, with two dozen witnesses testifying in the case. Both Dougherty and his nephew pled not guilty.
Dougherty, also known as "Johnny Doc," was the longtime business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98 until he resigned in November 2021 following his conviction on conspiracy charges. Last year, he was convicted of embezzlement charges. Dougherty is scheduled to be sentenced for those convictions in July.
In this case, Dougherty and Fiocca faced 19 counts of conspiracy and extortion. While working as the Local 98 steward for the project, Fiocca allegedly threatened the contractor for paying him for less than 40 hours of work.
The contractor claimed Fiocca hadn't been showing up for work and that the paycheck reflected the hours he was there. Fiocca allegedly grabbed the contractor by the throat and threw him onto the desk.
Dougherty later intervened. He allegedly threatened to pull all of the Local 98 workers from the job and said he would use his influence to prevent the contractor from getting future jobs in the area. Fiocca remained employed by the contractor until January 2021.
Dougherty and Fiocca have maintained their innocence. Following Dougherty's arrest in 2021, his spokesperson Frank Keel said the federal government had targeted Dougherty since he became the business manager in 1993 for the union.
"This isn't a prosecution, it's a persecution," Keel said at the time.
Dougherty was found guilty in December of stealing $600,000 from Local 98 between 2010 and 2016. In 2021, he and former Councilmember Bobby Henon were found guilty on bribery charges.
