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Date: 09-25-2019
Case Style:
United States of America v. Jeffrey Neal Smith and Derrick Martinez
Case Number: 2:19-cr-00077-Z-BR
Judge: Lee Ann Reno
Court: United States District Court for the Northern District to Texas (Potter County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: Sean Taylor
Defendant's Attorney:
Call 888-354-4529 if you need help finding a conspiracy to defraud the United States criminal lawyer in Amarillo, Texas
Description:
Amarillo, TX - Meat Packing Plant Execs Plead Guilty to Selling $1 Million in Adulterated Ground Beef to Federal Bureau of Prisons
Two meat packing plant executives pleaded guilty to their role in a scheme to sell more than $1 million of adulterated meat — including whole cow hearts labeled as “ground beef” — to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
West Texas Provisions, Inc. president Jeffery Neal Smith, 49, and operations manager Derrick Martinez, 43, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud.
According to plea papers, the defendants admitted to selling more than 775,000 pounds of uninspected, misbranded, or adulterated meat to 32 prison institutions in 18 states, for which BOP paid $1,011,166.72.
In violation of the Federal Meat Inspection Act, West Texas Provisions marketed its products as USDA inspected when, in fact, it was processed without inspection, defendants admitted.
Plea papers indicate the company processed whole cow hearts — not permitted in ground beef products — and labeled it “ground beef.” They kept the whole hearts offsite until inspectors left the premises, then processed the hearts on nights and weekends, when inspectors weren’t working.
They often kept the lights off inside the facility while processing uninspected meat, hid uninspected meat in the freezer while inspectors were in the building, and distracted inspectors from looking at the product, they admitted.
Both Mr. Smith and Mr. Martinez face up to five years in prison.
The Department of Justice Office of Inspector General and the Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.
Charge:
18 U.S.C. § 371 - CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD THE UNITED STATES
Outcome: 09/25/2019 41 ORDER SETTING SCHEDULE FOR SENTENCING as to Derrick Martinez: Presentence Investigation Report due by 11/25/2019. Objections to Presentence Investigation Report due by 12/9/2019. Presentence Investigation Addendum due by 12/23/2019. Objections to Presentence Investigation Addendum due by 12/27/2019. Sentencing set for 2/13/2020 at 10:00 AM in US Courthouse, Courtroom 1st Floor, 205 E. 5th St. Amarillo, TX 79101-1559 before Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk. (Ordered by Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk on 9/25/2019) (awc) (Entered: 09/25/2019)
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: