US seeks unprecedented life sentence for peanut executive in food safety case
The U.S. government is asking a federal judge to impose a life sentence on the former owner of a peanut-processing company who was convicted for covering up salmonella contamination.
If a judge agrees with the calculation in sentencing Stewart Parnell, the 61-year-old former executive would receive the harshest punishment so far in a criminal case involving food safety violations, experts told the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.). The Associated Press also has a story.
Nine people died as a result of eating peanut butter processed by Parnell’s company, the Peanut Corp. of America. He was convicted last September of 71 counts, including conspiracy, obstruction of justice and wire fraud.
Parnell’s lead lawyer, Tom Bondurant, said the sentencing calculation by the U.S. Probation Office was “outrageous.” Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 21.
