USDOJ accuses Starkist of trying to get out of paying a $100 million fine
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The US Justice Department is asking a federal judge to “reject” StarKist Co’s “attempt to escape punishment for the crime it committed” and to uphold a proposed $100 million fine, as cited in a plea agreement between the parties for the company’s participation in the packaged seafood conspiracy — to fix prices of packaged seafood sold in the United States.
USDOJ’s sentencing memorandum — with many portions redacted, and revealing details of StarKist’s participation — was filed last week at the federal court in San Francisco, where the company will be sentenced next month.
Documents filed in March this year, show the “inability” of StarKist to pay the $100 million criminal fine and the matter — at the time — was referred to the Probation Office for a pre-sentence report to, among other things, determine if StarKist can pay this amount or lower it to $50 million.
In the USDOJ 30-page sentencing memo, trial attorney Andrew J. Mast notes that StarKist “is to take responsibility for selling hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of price-fixed tuna to consumers” in the US.
Read more: http://www.samoanews.com/local-news/usdoj-accuses-starkist-trying-get-out-paying-100-million-fine
