Broiler Company Executives Acquitted for Alleged Collusion on Pricing

After a third trial a Jury acquitted the remaining five Defendants of all charges including collusion in alleged price fixing. The Department of Justice was ill-advised to retry the five after two previous trials ended with hung juries.

The acquitted company officers are ex-CEOs of Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, William Lovett and Jayson Penn along with V-P Roger Austin. Claxton Poultry President Mikell Fries and V-P Scott Brady were also declared not guilty of the charges. In 2020 Pilgrim’s Pride paid a penalty of $110 million to the DOJ to settle pending action relating to the issue.