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Ex-UAW Official Pleads Guilty In Broad Corruption Probe

DETROIT (CBS DETROIT/ AP) — A former United Auto Workers official has pleaded guilty to money laundering and conspiracy charges.

Mike Grimes, of Fort Myers, Florida, was accused of taking about $2 million in kickbacks from vendors.

Grimes entered the pleas Wednesday in a Detroit federal court facing roughly four years or more in prison.

Grimes worked at a UAW-General Motors training center and was administrative assistant to UAW vice president Cindy Estrada. He's the ninth person convicted in an investigation of corruption, especially at a Detroit training center jointly run by the UAW and Fiat Chrysler.

The UAW called the conduct "disgraceful."

Defense lawyer Michael Manley says Grimes is "crushed by what he has done" to the UAW's reputation.

© 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this story. 

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