Federal prosecutors charged Gary Jones with corruption on Thursday.

DETROIT — Prosecutors on Thursday charged the former president of the United Auto Workers with corruption, alleging he conspired with others to embezzle more than $1 million to treat themselves to private villas, golf outings, boozy meals, good cigars and horseback rides on beaches.

The federal government has been marching toward Gary Jones for months, after an embarrassing public search of his Detroit-area home and a series of guilty pleas from others in a sweeping investigation of UAW leaders living the high life while representing blue collar workers.

“We stand before you today because of greed — pure and simple greed. ... The charges against Gary Jones are offensive to the hard-working men and women of the UAW,” said Steve D’Antuono, the head of the FBI in Detroit.

Jones was charged with conspiring to embezzle, to aid racketeering and to defraud the government. The document was titled a criminal “information,” which signals that a guilty plea is likely.

Defense attorney J. Bruce Maffeo offered no comment. Jones was UAW president for about 1½ years before quitting under a cloud in November.

Nine union officials and an official’s spouse have pleaded guilty since 2017. The investigation began with the discovery that Fiat Chrysler money from a Fiat Chrysler-UAW job training center was stolen. It then stretched to embezzlement of union funds.

The court filing against Jones describes a scheme to pocket cash and enjoy luxuries, starting in 2010, long before he rose to the presidency.

Jones and other officials allegedly set up accounts that were supposed to be used for legitimate conference expenses to pay for “private villas, high-end liquor and meal expenses, golfing apparel, golf clubs and green fees.”