Jeffry and Sherry Payne, the former owners of Riteway Meat Co. of Dundee, Ore., were convicted last week on six counts of criminal mischief. They had been accused of knowingly letting more than $100,000 of customers’ meat to rot at the former business.

The Newberg Graphic reports that the Paynes were each sentenced to 24 months of probation and 120 hours of community service to be completed within one year. Other conditions imposed by Yamhill County Circuit Court Judge Ronald Stone were that the couple pay $1,760 in court costs and attorney fees, not move out of state, find gainful employment and write a letter of apology to the customers whose meat were wasted.

The Paynes were charged in 2015 after an investigation by state and federal Agriculture Department employees, as well as the Newberg-Dundee Police Department. The Paynes had filed for bankruptcy in 2012 but continued to operate the business and accept meat from customers even though they could not safety store and process the meat. The case was brought on behalf of six customers who lost more than 10,000 pounds of meat, but the police department had received numerous  complaints.

Read the Graphic article here for more details.

Source: The Newberg Graphic