ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, November 20, 1996 TAG: 9611200051
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.
SOURCE: Associated Press
The former Texaco executive who secretly taped himself and his colleagues belittling blacks and plotting to destroy evidence in a race-discrimination suit was charged Tuesday with shredding documents in the case.
Richard Lundwall, whose disclosure of the tapes was an embarrassment for the nation's 14th-largest corporation and led to the biggest race-discrimination settlement on record, is the first executive to face charges in the scandal.
The tapes ``corroborate Lundwall's admissions regarding his participation, together with other officials, in an effort to corruptly destroy, conceal and withhold'' documents for the lawsuit, FBI agent Joseph Mangan said in court papers.
Lundwall, 55, of Danbury, Conn., could get up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines if convicted of obstruction of justice.
``I think it's truly ironic that the only person accused is the individual who came forward with the tapes,'' said Lundwall's attorney, Christopher Riley. ``I think it's a very negative message.''
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stanley Okula would not comment on whether charges are likely against any other Texaco officials.
Lundwall, who had been chief of personnel in the finance department, said he tucked a tape recorder into his jacket and secretly made the recordings to keep accurate notes. After losing his job in a downsizing, he took the tapes to the lawyers for the plaintiffs in the discrimination suit.
Eleven days after Lundwall's disclosure, Texaco settled the 2-year-old discrimination lawsuit for $176 million, a large share of which will go to about 1,400 black employees.
LENGTH: Short : 42 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Richard Lundwall\Disclosed tapes. color.by CNB