2 Min Read
(Reuters) - Pilgrim’s Pride Corp, one of the largest U.S. poultry producers, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to pay a $107.9 million fine on Tuesday to settle federal charges it conspired to fix chicken prices and passed on the costs to consumers and other purchasers.
FILE PHOTO: Chicken is pictured in New York March 11, 2015. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
Chief Executive Fabio Sandri entered the guilty plea on the company’s behalf at a hearing before U.S. District Judge Raymond Moore in Denver. A plea agreement had been reached in October.
The plea followed the indictments last year of 10 poultry industry executives, including former Pilgrim’s Pride Chief Executives Jayson Penn and Bill Lovette, on price-fixing charges. All 10 have pleaded not guilty.