Former Philadelphia labor union boss John Dougherty has been accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the union he led for nearly three decades. The news comes two years after he was convicted on bribery charges.

Dougherty and his co-defendant Brian Burrows, the former president of the Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union, could face decades in prison if convicted on charges including conspiracy, embezzlement, tax fraud, and falsification of labor union reports.

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Thirty-three witnesses were called over the course of 15 trial days, and the jury heard testimony on Dougherty allegedly misspending approximately $600,000 of union money to cover expenses for family and friends. For example, Dougherty allegedly used union money to help pay for his niece's college trip to play basketball in Costa Rica in 2015. Prosecutors also claimed Dougherty had spent thousands of union dollars to buy Taylor Swift and other concert tickets for family and friends, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

“Over and over, again and again, he stole, he lied, and no one stopped him,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Bea Witzleben told jurors in her opening statement. “He stole money from that union any time he thought he could get away with it.”

Dougherty and Burrows have challenged the accusations by pointing to the auditors, accountants, and other record keepers who review the union's finances and never raised any red flags. However, the union's former recording secretary said he was asked repeatedly to approve invoice payments after the bills had been paid. An auditor for Dougherty's side business also said he received incomplete information while preparing the business’s annual tax filings.

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Dougherty's co-defendant in the 2021 conspiracy trial, Bobby Henon, was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison. Dougherty was convicted of eight counts in the conspiracy trial, including conspiracy and honest services wire fraud, and Henon was convicted of 10 counts, including conspiracy, bribery, and honest services wire fraud.

Closing arguments in Dougherty's six-week trial are expected to begin Monday, and the jury will begin deliberations shortly after.