As the Bilzin Sumberg team previously reported in June 2020, the Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted four executives from Pilgrim’s Pride and Claxton Poultry for their participation in a conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids of broiler chicken products.
That indictment alleged that from at least 2012 through at least 2017, Pilgrim’s, Claxton, and at least five other unnamed chicken suppliers participated in a conspiracy to exchange confidential pricing information and rig bids to some of their largest customers, including quick-service restaurants and grocery chains.
On October 6, 2020, the DOJ issued a superseding indictment, which expanded both the number of companies involved and the scope of conduct.
Continue Reading Chicken Criminal Price-Fixing Case Heats Up
On June 3, 2020, the Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted executives from Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation and Claxton Poultry Farms—two of the country’s largest chicken producers. The criminal action was filed in the District of Colorado, where Pilgrim’s Pride is headquartered. The individuals criminally charged are Pilgrim’s President and CEO, Jayson Penn and former Vice President, Roger Austin, as well as Claxton’s President, Mikell Fries, and Vice President, Scott Brady.
This month, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) opened a criminal investigation into collusive behavior among some of the largest producers of Atlantic salmon. This inquiry follows the DOJ’s June announcement of its separate investigation into the chicken industry.