Michael McKay

Michael McKay is a convicted racketeer and former labor leader from the United States. He was president of American Maritime Officers (AMO) from 1993 until his conviction in 2007.

McKay, son of long-time AMO president Raymond McKay, joined the union as a Third Assistant Engineer in 1968. He worked his way up to chief engineer (steam and diesel), sailing aboard deep-sea tankers and containerships. ) told federal prosecutors that he had been involved in criminal activities at the union. During the six-year investigation, he recorded over 200 tapes of discussions with other union leaders.

Count 1 of the Indictment charged Michael McKay, Robert McKay, the National Secretary-Treasurer of the AMO Union, and former AMO employees Phillip Ciccarelli and James Lynch with conspiring to participate in the affairs of a racketeering enterprise by committing multiple acts involving theft and embezzlement from the AMO Union and the AMO Benefit Plans, graft, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, mail fraud, and honest services fraud.

Michael McKay was also charged with embezzlement from the AMO Benefit Plans (Count 2), mail fraud (Counts 4, 9, and 10), falsification of records pertaining to the AMO Benefit Plans (Count 11), and failure to maintain records required by the Labor Management and Reporting Disclosure Act (Count 12).

Robert McKay was further charged with mail fraud (Counts 4 and 9), embezzlement from the AMO Union (Count 8), failure to maintain records required by the LMRDA (Count 12), and falsification of records required by the LMRDA (Count 13).

Phillip Ciccarelli was further charged with witness tampering (Count 3), mail fraud (Count 5), and graft affecting the AMO Benefit Plans (Counts 6 and 7).

McKay went to trial in Broward County, Florida on November 21, 2006. Bethel had formerly served as AMO's national executive vice president.

McKay's brother, former AMO National Secretary-Treasurer Robert McKay was convicted of two counts of mail fraud, embezzlement, and two recordkeeping offenses. Robert McKay was sentenced to 15 months, must forfeit $510,000 to the government, and $260,000 to AMO.

McKay and his wife, Carol, have five children and seven grandchildren. They were married in 1970.

Trivia McKay held union book #M-130. The sentence for racketeering conspiracy could have been for up to 20 years.