Georgia poultry executives indicted in feds’ price fixing case

https://www.ajc.com/business/georgia-poultry-executives-indicted-for-price-fixing/np5XQPnigCBJjJsVSeHXJI/

By Tamar Hallerman, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
June 03, 2020


Two executives from a Georgia-based poultry company were indicted for allegedly conspiring to fix prices for broiler chickens, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.

Mikell Fries and Scott Brady, president and vice president of Claxton Poultry Farms, were among four poultry industry officials each charged by a federal grand jury in Denver with one count of conspiracy to restrain trade.

The indictment also names Jayson Penn, CEO of Colorado-based poultry giant Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., and his former deputy Roger Austin, who resides in Carroll County in Georgia.

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Restaurant companies, food distributors and some of the country’s largest grocery stores, including Walmart and Kroger, have filed price-fixing lawsuits against large poultry producers in recent years.

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