A federal grand jury in the U.S. District Court in Denver, Colorado, returned an indictment against four executives for their role in a conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids for broiler chickens, the Department of Justice announced. Per CNBC, the people named in the indictment are Jason Penn, CEO of Pilgrim’s Pride; Roger Austin, former Pilgrim’s vice president; Mkell Fries, Claxton Poultry Farms president, and Scott Brady, a former Pilgrim’s executive who joined Claxton in 2012.
“Particularly in times of global crisis, the division remains committed to prosecuting crimes intended to raise the prices Americans pay for food,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “Executives who cheat American consumers, restauranteurs, and grocers, and compromise the integrity of our food supply, will be held responsible for their actions.”