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DENVER – A state grand jury indicted Park Ridge, Ill., Indicted Koch Foods, a nationwide conspiracy to set prices and offers for broiler chicken products, while another state grand jury charged four Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. executives. because of her role in the same conspiracy, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) said.
The four executives of Pilgrim’s Pride are Jason McGuire, a former executive vice president of sales for the company’s Prepared Foods division; Timothy Stiller, a former general manager of Fresh Food Services and Small Bird Debone; Wesley “Scott” Tucker, a sales director for national accounting; and Justin Gay, Director of Fresh Foodservice Sales. Mr. McGuire, Mr. Stiller, Mr. Tucker, and Mr. Gay will have their first court appearances on August 11th in U.S. District Court Judge S. Kato Crews.
Koch’s senior vice president, William Kantola, is among the 10 people charged in October 2020 for their role in the conspiracy, the DOJ found. In May, a grand jury filed charges against Claxton Poultry for his role in the same conspiracy that replaces the most recent indictment. The first appearance of Koch Foods is not yet planned, announced the DOJ.
“As today’s indictments show, the department continues to seek to hold both individuals and corporations accountable if they choose to make a profit rather than obey the law,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Richard A. Powers of the Antitrust Division DOJ. “Our investigation into criminal price fixing of broiler chickens continues and we will not stop until we ensure that wrongdoers are brought to justice and competition is restored in this critical industry.”
Previous charges arising from the investigation were made against:
- Jayson Penn, former Pilgrim’s Pride chief executive officer;
- Roger Austin, Vice President of Fresh Foodservice at Pilgrim’s;
- Mikell Fries President of Claxton Poultry;
- Scott Brady, Vice President National Accounts at Claxton Poultry;
- Bill Lovette, a past Pilgrim’s president and CEO who succeeded Penn;
- Timothy R. Mulrenin, director of national account sales at Perdue Farms in Salisbury, Maryland, and former sales director at Tyson Foods Inc .;
- William Kantola, Vice President, Foodservice at Koch Foods Inc .;
- Jimmie Lee Little, described in the complaint as a “sales manager” at Pilgrim’s;
- Gary Brian Roberts, vice president of sales and marketing at Case Farms and former vice president, National Accounts at Tyson Foods Inc .; and
- Rickie Patterson Blake, described in the complaint as a “director and manager” at George’s Inc.
Pilgrim’s, based in Greeley, Colorado, a unit of JBS SA, pleaded guilty and was fined more than $ 107 million for its role in the conspiracy in February 2021.
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