Meunerie Sawyerville, Inc., False Statement and Fraud, Vermont 2012
Canadian Corporation Sentenced to $80,000 Fine After Importation of Contaminated Cattle Feed
A Vermont court has handed down a significant fine to a Canadian cattle feed brokerage and manufacturing company. Meunerie Sawyerville, Inc., a Quebec-based corporation, was sentenced to one year of probation and two fines of $70,000 and $10,000 on the two felony counts of conviction.
The corporation, led by President Yves Bolduc, had previously pled guilty to one count of making a false statement to the United States government, and one count of fraudulently causing the cattle feed drug monensin to be introduced into interstate commerce at a level of concentration significantly higher than that allowed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
According to court documents, on or about September 12, 2012, Meunerie Sawyerville sent a driver into the United States with a truckload of cattle feed medicated with the regulated drug monensin at a concentration above that allowed by the FDA and 200% more than what was marked on the label.
The feed was sampled at the border, and the driver was ordered to warehouse the feed pending further testing from the FDA. Contrary to orders from U.S. officials, Bolduc instructed the driver to deliver the feed to the Vermont farmer as planned, without informing the farmer that the feed had been sampled and ordered held by the FDA.
United States Attorney Eric Miller emphasized the importance of enforcing the FDA’s rules on medicated feed, stating, “Vermonters care deeply about the quality and content of the milk our farmers produce and our families drink. My office will continue to work closely with the FDA to make sure that feed suppliers comply with laws that protect consumers from tainted products.”
Meunerie Sawyerville was represented by Attorney Bud Allen, and the prosecutor was Assistant U.S. Attorney Abigail Averbach. The United States Attorney would like to express his gratitude to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, Veterinary Drug Specialists, and Office of the Chief Counsel, for their excellent investigative work and assistance with this case.
Meunerie Sawyerville, Inc., a Canadian corporation, has been sentenced to a total fine of $80,000, with one year of probation. The charges against the corporation were for making a false statement to the United States government and fraudulently causing the cattle feed drug monensin to be introduced into interstate commerce at a level of concentration significantly higher than that allowed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Crime: Meunerie Sawyerville, Inc., a Canadian corporation, was charged with making a false statement to the United States government and fraudulently causing the cattle feed drug monensin to be introduced into interstate commerce.
City and State: Rutland, Vermont
Exact Date: September 12, 2012
Sentence or Outcome: One year of probation and two fines of $70,000 and $10,000
Dollar Amounts: $70,000, $10,000
Key Facts
- State: Vermont
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →