Harshest Sentence Ever Delivered in Food-Safety Case: 28 Years in Prison

The salmonella outbreak in 2008 and 2009 triggered one of the largest food recalls in USA history and cost Peanut Corporation’s customers — companies that used its peanut products in everything from snack crackers to pet food — an estimated $143 million.

A CEO who sold peanut butter he knew to be contaminated with salmonella, a group of bacteria that’s one of the most common causes of food poisoning in the United States, has been sentenced to 28 years in prison.

“Our prosecution is just one more example of the forceful actions that the Department of Justice, with its agency partners, takes against any individual or company who compromises the safety of America’s food supply for financial gain”, said Acting Associate Attorney General Stuart Delery in statement after the sentence was announced.

While victims and advocates are pleased that the case is finally coming to a close and the Parnells are on their way to prison, Marler says he hopes more will be done to stop shoddy business practices that could lead to future infections.

Prosecutors said she was the ninth victim to die from the salmonella outbreak.

On Monday, a federal jury convicted Parnell, 61, of knowingly shipping contaminated peanut butter and of faking the results of lab tests for salmonella.

The judge’s order calculated Stewart Parnell’s potential maximum sentence at 803 years in prison. He plans to appeal the conviction and sentence.

“Our request is not a selfish request; we only ask that you assign any monies to aid families who have suffered or are suffering from food borne illnesses”.

“Given the ages of these two men, this is a life sentence”, Bondurant said. In May, ConAgra Foods agreed to pay $11.2 million to settle federal charges that it shipped salmonella-tainted Peter Pan Peanut Butter that sickened at least 625 people in 2007. He didn’t elaborate. “This is commonly and accurately referred to as greed”.

A February 2009 FDA inspection of the company’s Texas facility found rodent excrement and numerous dead rodents; air-makeup system filters littered with feathers, lint, dust, and miscellaneous foreign debris; and a leaky roof dripping rainwater into the plant’s peanut processing areas. It was Marler who helped disseminate word of emails and records confirming that food found by lab tests to contain salmonella was shipped to customers. Other batches were never tested at all, but got shipped with fake lab records saying salmonella screenings were negative.

The salmonella outbreak happened in 2008 and could be traced back to the Stewart Parnell’s company, the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA).

Addressing the court in his own behalf, Stewart Parnell apologized to victims and their families.

In several emails Parnell instructs his employees to violate standards.

“It’s been a seven-year nightmare for me and my family”, Parnell told the judge.

His food broker brother Michael Parnell was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

The two Parnell brothers were taken into custody after the sentencing and not allowed bond, as they were considered a flight risk.

Stewart Parnell and his co-defendants were never charged with killing or sickening anybody. However, under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), executives can also be charged with a misdemeanor, tried and convicted for holding a position of authority and having had the ability to prevent a food safety violation.