Deliberations Underway In Trial Of Fmr. Head Of Teachers Union

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Deliberations are underway in the case of a former teachers union official facing corruption charges.

Pat Santeramo led the Broward Teachers Union for ten years before his arrest. He is facing a total of nine criminal charges that included theft, money laundering and campaign contribution violations.

"Pat Santeramo is not guilty of these charges and all the charges," said one of his defense attorneys.

On the last day of his two week long trial, Santeramo's attorneys spent hours trying to convince a jury he should go home a free man.

"No one said that Pat Santeramo said 'keep this secret. Keep it under your hat,'" said defense attorney Larry Davis.

The one-time powerful head of the Broward Teachers Union is accused of stealing $300 thousand from union funds in different schemes like inflating bills from contractor work done at the union building and having employees write checks for political campaigns then paying them back with union money.

"Mister Santeramo knew. Those two emails prove it, beyond any reasonable doubt that he knew that what he was doing was wrong," said prosecutor David Schulson.

Prosecutors said Santeramo should go to prison for betraying the teachers he was paid to represent.