Other batches were never tested at all, but got shipped with fake lab records saying salmonella screenings were negative. ", Police: Bulgarian journalist raped, murdered, Second killer pleads guilty in 1983 cold case, Pastor's faith stronger after daughter's death, Man charged with firing gun at protesters, Ambushed judge returns fire, suspect dead, Deadly clashes after guru convicted of rape, Death of Muslim teen near mosque investigated, Authorities: Teen killed for dating Muslim, Questions linger in Louisiana man's death, Two men charged in homicides of missing men. Sushi made from frozen raw tuna is linked to 62 cases of Salmonella this year. He had been seeking justice for his mother, Shirley Mae Almer, who died in late 2008 after eating salmonella-tainted peanut butter. His brother, food broker Michael Parnell, was also convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison Monday. “Today’s sentencing sends a powerful message to officials in the food industry that they stand in a special position of trust with the American consumer, and those who put profit above the welfare of their customers and knowingly sell contaminated food will face serious consequences,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. The court found that Stewart Parnell and Mary Wilkerson should be held accountable for more than $100 million but less than $200 million in losses, and Michael Parnell should be held accountable for more than $20 million but less than $50 million in losses. Before the judge issued the sentences, Stewart Parnell said; “This has been a seven-year nightmare for me and my family. 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.”. Judge Sands took into account the fraud loss of PCA’s corporate victims when imposing today’s sentence. Before Parnell's sentencing, Almer and other family members of victims sent U.S. District Court Judge W. Louis Sands a letter asking for $500,000 in restitution that would go to food safety groups. It's the harshest criminal penalty ever for a U.S. producer in a food-borne illness case and a span his attorneys say might as well be a life sentence. Parnell is 61 and unless he wins an appeal, he will have to serve out most of his term. Hundreds fell ill, and at least nine died. "I am satisfied there were convictions and now jail terms," he said. “They did not and lives were lost. “I just read your article concerning Peanut Corporation of America. "If you compare it with other food-safety criminal cases, it's tremendously out of line," Bondurant said. Defense statements and witnesses, which took all of 104 minutes, portrayed Parnell as a small-business owner who was scapegoated by the government. Stewart Parnell's attorney, Tom Bondurant Jr. vowed to appeal, contending that the sentences were too harsh. The company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection shortly after it was shut down. It also thrives in the intestines of birds and can be found in fruits and vegetables and in ingredients made from them. The prosecution's blistering opening statement contained three now-infamous words Parnell wrote in a March 2007 email to a plant manager about contaminated products: "Just ship it.". The Food and Drug Administration estimates that every year, 48 million people -- one out of six -- suffer from food-borne illnesses. The COVID-19 pandemic underscores weaknesses in the social safety nets many families rely on. "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.". The government presented evidence at trial to establish that Stewart Parnell and Michael Parnell – with former PCA operations manager Samuel Lightsey, 50, and Daniel Kilgore, 46, both of Blakely – participated in several schemes by which they defrauded PCA customers and jeopardized the quality and purity of their peanut products. Between February and August 2011, the Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. recalled, Authorities shut down a processing plant in Texas in October 2010 after four deaths were tied to listeria-infected celery produced at the site. Stewart Parnell, 61, who once oversaw Peanut Corporation of America, and his brother, Michael Parnell, 56, who was a food broker on the company’s behalf, were … Stewart Parnell, the former owner of Peanut Corporation of America, who knowingly sold truckloads of salmonella-tainted peanut butter that resulted in nine deaths and 700 illnesses. All rights reserved. Instead, they were charged with defrauding corporate customers such as Kellogg's, which turned the company's peanuts and peanut butter into finished products. "Honestly, I think the fact that he was prosecuted at all is a victory for consumers," said Bill Marler, a food safety lawyer who represented several of the victims in the PCA outbreak. The problem, say food safety advocates, is there is not yet adequate funding for the FDA to fully enforce the law. Or what to do if you find the critters? But he said more needs to be done on the front end -- before tragedy strikes. His grief and his anger toward PCA turned him into a food safety activist. The court also found the government established evidence that Stewart Parnell and Mary Wilkerson should be accountable for harming more than 250 victims, and Michael Parnell should be accountable under federal sentencing guidelines for harming more than 50 victims. Nine people died from salmonella-infected peanut butter between September 2008 and April 2009. After we published my article about former Peanut Corporation of America CEO, Stewart Parnell, on Monday, I heard from one of his family members, who did not want to be identified by name: “Mr. I'm truly sorry for what happened. Jeff Almer breaks down after testifying before Congress about his mother Shirley, who died in late 2008 after eating salmonella-laced peanut butter with her toast. A new study has finally shed light on the issue. "No one thought that the products were unsafe or could harm someone," said Stewart Parnell's daughter, Grey Parnell. Under federal rules, the defendants will have to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences before being eligible for parole. Several months before the outbreak, when a final lab test found salmonella, Parnell expressed concern to a Georgia plant manager, writing in an Oct. 6, 2008, email that the delay "is costing us huge $$$$$.". Kevin Pollack, whose company Stericycle ExpertSOLUTIONS helps handle brand recalls, said various foods are recalled every year because of bacterial contaminations, which can lead to illness. Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor, said Parnell's sentence will make corporate executives think twice before engaging in wrongful activities. More than 100,000 people are hospitalized and about 3,000 die from infections the federal government says are largely preventable. The 2008 salmonella outbreak traced back to peanut butter paste manufactured by PCA killed nine people and sickened 714 others, some critically, across 46 states. When food kills – Peanut Corp. of America owner Stewart Parnell, right, and former plant manager Samuel Lightsey testify before Congress about the 2008-2009 salmonella outbreak linked to … Here are 9 COVID-related symptoms that you may not have heard of. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. It is a priority for CBC to create a website that is accessible to all Canadians including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges.
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