On May 1, 2020, Blue Bell pleaded guilty to shipping contaminated ice cream linked to a 2015 listeria outbreak and agreed to pay a fine of $19.5 million ($17.4 million criminal fine and $2.1 million to settle civil false claims act violations).  Blue Bell’s former CEO, Paul Kruse, was separately indicted and charged in seven separate counts for conspiracy and wire fraud for concealing from...

The Justice Department recently resolved two food safety criminal cases involving Blue Bell Ice Cream and Chipotle Mexican Grills.  In its largest food safety recovery to date, Chipotle agreed to a three-year deferred prosecution agreement and paid $25 million.  In the Blue Bell Ice Cream case, Blue Bell agreed to plead guilty and pay $19.5 million in fines and penalties.  Blue Bell’s former CEO, Paul...