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Pilgrim’s Pride Antitrust Plea Delayed

By  |  November 26, 2020

Pilgrim’s Pride is set to plead guilty to federal anti-competitive actions early next year after receiving another delay.

The Greeley chicken-packer was first scheduled to plead in early November, but that was later moved to December 2. On Tuesday, a federal judge moved the plea hearing to January 5 next year, according to filings with the US District Court of Colorado.

Pilgrim’s Pride agreed to pay US$110.52 million in fines to the US Department of Justice in October to settle allegations tied to a larger investigation into price-fixing among major chicken suppliers.

The plea does not affect the ongoing federal prosecution of former Pilgrim’s Pride CEOs Jayson Penn and William Lovette, or former company executives Roger Austin and Jimmie Little, who all face charges of violating the Sherman Antitrust Act.

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