DES MOINES, Iowa – A federal grand jury on Thursday returned a 12-count indictment against Agriprocessors, alleging the company’s managers were involved in efforts to employ illegal immigrants.

The indictment includes three defendants, Brent Beebe, Hosam Amara, and Zeev Levi, who reportedly had not been named in previous charges against the company and its management. Agriprocessors CEO Sholom Rubashkin and human resources worker Karina Freund, who have faced previous charges, were also named in the indictment.

Media reports said the indictment was issued Thursday and opened on Friday.

The indictment reportedly listed charges of conspiracy to harbor undocumented immigrants for profit, harboring and aiding and abetting undocumented immigrants for profit, conspiracy to commit document fraud, aiding and abetting document fraud, aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft and bank fraud.

Reports said that Beebe was arrested at noon Friday at the Agriprocessors plant in Postville, Iowa. The U.S. attorney’s office in Iowa asked for the public's help in apprehending Amara and Levi.

Agriprocessors was the target of an immigration raid in May that lead to the arrest of more than 300 illegal immigrants. The company has struggled since then and declared bankruptcy earlier this month.

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON – The American Meat Institute (AMI) announced Friday that it has retained analysis firm ethnoMetrics Inc. enhance the 2009 Worldwide Food Expo (WFE).

The WFE will be held in Chicago from October 28 to 31.

The industry organization said the move is an effort to measure and enhance the purchase experience at the WFE.

The information obtained will provide insight into the effectiveness of space layout and design, as well as the effectiveness of the exhibit sales force in creating an environment that promotes interaction from contact and awareness to final purchase.

AMI said it will also partner with ethnoMetrics via webinar and live workshop onsite at the show to help educate exhibitors on behaviors that will improve the return-on-investment for suppliers at WFE.

“We are pleased to put technology to work to help our suppliers succeed at Worldwide Food Expo,” said Anne Halal, vice president of convention and exposition services for AMI. “This new approach gives our client organizations a new level of information and insight to support strategic decisions that will drive growth.”

Source: American Meat Institute