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Koch Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride executives charged with price fixing poultry

An ongoing federal antitrust investigation into price fixing in the poultry industry has led to the indictment of four executives and a separate company.

The indictments from a federal grand jury in Denver, Colorado allege that Koch Foods of Park Ridge, Illinois and Pilgrim’s Pride executives Jason McGuire, Timothy Stiller, Wesley “Scott” Tucker and Justin Gay conspired to eliminate competition for sales of broiler chicken products to grocers and restaurants.

Violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for individuals with a $100 million fine for corporations which can be increase to twice the gain from the crime or twice the loss suffered by victims if either is greater.

Pilgrim’s Pride, as a company, was sentenced in February to pay a criminal fine of $107 million for its role in the conspiracy which ran from at least 2012 to 2019.

General Richard Powers with the Department of Justice Antitrust Division says the investigation into poultry price fixing will not stop until all wrongdoers are held accountable, and competition is restored to the industry.