MIAMI -- Pat Tornillo, a former head of Miami-Dade County's teachers union who championed education but was later sent to prison for stealing from the group, has died, his attorney said Monday. He was 81.

Tornillo died Sunday at his home in Tallahassee, his attorney Michael Rosen said. He had suffered from lung and heart disease, prostate cancer and diabetes.

Tornillo was sentenced to 27 months in prison in 2004 for cheating teachers out of $650,000 in United Teachers of Dade dues, which he used to pay for lavish vacations.

The American Federation of Teachers calculated that Tornillo actually stole $2.5 million from the largest union in the Southeast. A judge ordered him to pay nearly $1 million in restitution and back taxes.

After his release from prison, Tornillo published an apology in a newspaper.

The United Teachers of Dade said: "Pat Tornillo's death marks the end of a life once dedicated to education reform and teacher leadership in Florida, but unfortunately was compromised at the end of his career by his admission of fraud and tax evasion."

Tornillo was an icon in Florida's educational system for 40 years, Rosen said in a statement.

"He established employment rights and benefits for teachers that were modeled nationwide," he said.