Friday, December 17, 2021

Jury deadlocked on price-fixing case

The jury judging 10 poultry industry executives accused of price-fixing deadlocked after four days of deliberations, so the judge has declared a mistrial.

Jurors were deadlocked after the seven-week trial in a Denver federal court.


Former Pilgrim's CEOs Jayson Penn and William Lovette were among those on trial.


The group of defendants worked for five U.S. poultry companies, including Tyson Foods and Claxton Poultry Farms. All 10 defendants have pleaded not guilty to accusations of conspiring to suppress and eliminate competition through rigging bids and fixing prices and price-related terms for broiler chickens from 2012 to 2019.


The eight other defendants in the case are Claxton President Mikell Fries, Claxton Vice President Scott Brady, Roger Austin, Rickie Blake, William Kantola, Jimmie Little, Timothy Mulrenin and Gary Roberts.