Teamsters’ Roy Williams Ordered to Prison Hospital

A federal judge today ordered former Teamsters President Roy L. Williams to a prison hospital for a medical evaluation to help determine how much time he can serve for conspiring to bribe a U.S. senator.

In issuing his ruling, U.S. District Judge Prentice Marshall rejected arguments by Williams’ attorney that the former union leader was so ill that he could die in prison or that he could be assassinated there.

Williams was sentenced in 1983 to a provisional 55-year term pending a 90-day medical evaluation. Marshall has said a final sentence will be imposed after that period.

Gary Shapiro, a government prosecutor, said Williams’ stay at the hospital would be considered part of his prison sentence if he is later ordered to complete a prison term.

Williams, 70, suffers from severe emphysema and heart problems. Under terms of Marshall’s order, Williams will report to the federal prison hospital in Springfield, Mo., by May 22. A medical evaluation will be conducted and federal authorities will report back to Marshall by August.

At that time, Marshall will impose a final sentence.

The judge refused to reduce the sentences of two of Williams’ co-defendants, both former trustees of the Teamsters Central States Pension Fund.

Thomas O’Malley, 46, will serve 2 1/2 years, and Andrew Massa, 67, will serve a year and a day but will be allowed to do that in a work-release program.

The three men, along with two others, were convicted in December, 1982, of conspiring to bribe then-U.S. Sen. Howard Cannon with a lucrative Las Vegas land deal in exchange for his help in defeating trucking deregulation legislation.

The bill became law. Cannon, a Nevada Democrat who was defeated in a reelection bid, was not charged.