Prosecutors recommended a life sentence for a former peanut company owner convicted in September for a salmonella outbreak that killed nine people in 2008.
Federal prosecutors filed a motion Thursday recommending Stewart Parnell, the former owner of Peanut Corp. of America, spend the rest of his life in prison. He was convicted on dozens of counts including conspiracy and fraud.
He and his brother, Michael Parnell, were each charged with 76 counts for intentionally shipping out salmonella-laced peanut products. Federal prosecutors said the brothers and Mary Wilkerson — a former quality control manager at the plant — cut corners to boost profits for Peanut Corp. of America.
They were also accused of covering up positive test results for salmonella in their products.
In addition to the nine deaths linked to the peanut products, more than 700 people were reportedly sickened.
William Marler, a Seattle-based food safety lawyer representing the victims told the Wall Street Journal, “it was an extraordinary verdict that could result in an extraordinary amount of time in jail for a food crime.”
Anyone who would commit murder using peanut butter deserves life without parole.
Less tongue-in-cheek, the creep is responsible for the deaths of nine people. I hope he gets what he deserves. And his lawyer deserves some time in jail for preventing a timely trial.
Stewart Parnell, former CEO of Peanut Corporation of America, could get a life sentence today in connection with a salmonella outbreak that occurred seven years ago http://fortune.com/tag/peanut-corporation-of-america/
28 years for Stewart Parnell, 20 for his brother Michael and 5 for Mary Wilkerson, a former Peanut Corporation of America quality assurance manager. They all plan to appeal. http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2015/09/parnell-brothers-spent-last-night-in-federal-lockup-and-face-many-more/#.VgF9Bc62hOc U.S. District Court Judge W. Louis Sands said that, in the end, the case was not about murder, even though nine people died from the poisoned peanuts. He said that the acts involved were driven by the desire for profit and to protect profits despite known risks, something which he noted is “commonly and accurately referred to as greed.”