Tag: criminal
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Peanut Corp. of America Salmonella Outbreak Trial Nears End
Defense counsel and a U.S. attorney made their closing arguments September 11-12, 2014, in the criminal trial of three former Peanut Corp. of America officials and employees who were charged with mail and wire fraud, obstruction, conspiracy, and other counts relating to a nationwide 2008-2009 Salmonella outbreak linked to the company’s Blakely, Georgia, facility. United States…
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Challenge to Idaho Law Criminalizing Agricultural Investigations Proceeds
A federal court in Idaho has denied, in part, the motion to dismiss filed by state officials in a challenge filed by animal-rights activists and other groups to a law that criminalizes the undercover investigations of agricultural operations. Animal Legal Defense Fund v. Otter, No. 14-0104 (D. Idaho, order entered September 4, 2014). The court agreed…
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UK to Create Food Crime Unit in Response to Final Report Analyzing Food Supply Networks
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Food Standards Agency on September 4, 2014, issued a final report evaluating U.K. food supply networks and containing recommendations for government action to address any weaknesses. The government commissioned the report from University of Belfast Professor Chris Elliott following a 2013 incident known as “Horsegate”…
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Slaughterhouse Co-Owner Pleads Guilty
Former Rancho Feeding Operations co-owner Robert Singleton has agreed to plead guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the distribution of condemned and diseased cattle in violation of the Federal Meat Inspection Act and will testify against the other owner of the now-defunct slaughterhouse operation and its employees. United States v. Singleton, No. 14-cr-441…
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Defense Counsel Cross-Examine Peanut Corp. Plant Manager
Attorneys representing the former Peanut Corp. of America owner and employees charged with conspiracy, mail and wire fraud, obstruction of justice and other counts involving the distribution of adulterated or misbranded food that allegedly led to a deadly Salmonella outbreak, had their opportunity on August 19, 2014, to cross-examine the company’s Blakely, Georgia, plant manager,…
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Slaughterhouse Owners, Employees Charged with Distributing Diseased Cattle
Federal charges have been brought against two owners and two employees of Rancho Feeding Operations, a Petaluma, California-based livestock slaughterhouse, for distributing condemned and diseased cattle in violation of the Federal Meat Inspection Act. United States v. Amaral, No. 14-cr-437 (N.D. Cal., filed August 14, 2014); United States v. Singleton, No. 14-cr-441 (N.D. Cal., filed August…
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Witness Testifies About Sampling Fraud in Prosecution of Peanut Corp. Executives
As the criminal prosecution of Peanut Corp. of America executives continues into its second week, the former south Georgia peanut-processing plant manager reportedly admitted lying to federal investigators about positive tests for Salmonella in company products and the frequency of testing “to play damage control, [and in an effort] to protect the company.” According to…
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Wine Counterfeiter Receives 10-Year Prison Sentence
According to New York Southern District U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, a man who allegedly operated a wine counterfeiting laboratory from his California residence between 2004 and 2012 has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Rudy Kurniawan apparently became a prominent and prolific U.S. dealer of rare and expensive wine that was actually lower-priced wine blended…