A federal jury in Albany, Georgia convicted a peanut company boss and was found guilty on Friday during a trial. Former Peanut Corporation of America CEO Stewart Parnell was deemed guilty of conspiracy and other charges.
The peanut company CEO, Stewart Parnell, which distributed salmonella-tainted peanuts that sickened hundreds of people across the US five years ago, together with his brother, Michael Parnell and a quality assurance manager Mary Milkerson have been on trial over a month ago.
The Parnell brothers have been on trial since August 1 on federal charges stemming from salmonella outbreak in 2008 and 2009 that sickened 714 and were linked to nine deaths. Michael and his brother, Peanut Corporation of America CEO, Stewart were found guilty and convicted of conspiracy.
The brothers were charged with knowledgeably shipping tainted peanut butter to consumers and falsifying laboratory tests planned to screen salmonella. Salmonella-tainted peanut butter from the company's plant in rural Blakely, Georgia ended up in jars, packaged crackers and other snacks.
The salmonella outbreak led to one of the major food recalls in the US antiquity. The peanut company's quality control manager, Mary Wilkerson was also charged along its CEO with impeding justice. Specialists said that it is the first time food processors have been trialed in a federal food-poisoning case.
There was trial testimony stating that people got sick. But lawyers and witnesses certainly not cited any of the people who deceased because the Parnell brothers weren't indicted with slaying or sickening anybody. Medical tests inveterate people who consumed peanut butter from the Georgia plant were sickened by salmonella but unsure if salmonella killed some of them.
As an alternative, US Attorney Michael Moore of Georgia's Middle District, whose office tried the case, said that prosecutors decided they could construct a stronger case charging them with conning their customers, food producers including Kellogg's, and marketing those tainted goods. Defense barristers had acknowledged the peanut company distributed tainted peanut butter and concealed up positive salmonella tests, but said the scheme was carried out unknowingly to its CEO by two plant managers who appealed guilty.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which traced the outbreak from victims back to the plant, determined 714 people, got sick in 43 US states. Three deaths were conveyed in Minnesota, two in Ohio, two in Virginia, one in Idaho and one in North Carolina. But the CDC evaded when trussing mortalities to salmonella.
The peanut company CEO together with two co-defendants was charged with 71 total counts and would face austere punishments when convicted. Prosecutors have said Stewart Parnell will face a maximum of 754 years in custodial and $17 million penalties. And lawyer Michael Moore said he aims to present substantiation of the deaths during penalizing if there are convictions.
© 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
